US Treasury secretary could take on AI czar role, source says

Sept 22 (Reuters) - US Treasury ‌Secretary Scott ​Bessent ​could become President Donald Trump’s new AI czar, a source familiar with the discussions said on ‌Tuesday, as fears grow among lawmakers in Washington about ⁠the risks posed by AI technology.

Trump has repeatedly downplayed concerns about AI ‌and argued that additional ‌regulation is unnecessary.

The Treasury had no immediate comment on Bessent's possible new role, which was first reported by Semafor. ​A second source told Reuters that no decision had been made.

Trump on Saturday said that he plans to ⁠appoint an artificial intelligence adviser, known as an "AI czar," and create an "AI force," though ​he did not provide details about either initiative or how they would be implemented.

Bessent led talks ​on Sunday with Chinese Vice Premier ‌He Lifeng in New York ahead of this week's summit between Trump and Chinese President ⁠Xi Jinping in Washington. The talks focused heavily on AI.

Bessent told reporters after the talks that Washington had proposed an AI ⁠safety notification mechanism and US-China AI dialogue, with a particular emphasis on ​national security concerns.

Trump previously tapped Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, to play a lead role in a major revamp of US trade ‌policy, negotiate with Ukraine about critical minerals and temporarily head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

He ‌also serves as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, ⁠and his Treasury is leading ‌a push to ​isolate Iran economically through sanctions and other measures.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Christopher ‌Cushing)

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