US Treasury Secretary emerges as top contender for AI czar post: Report

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has emerged as a leading candidate to become the administration's new artificial intelligence (AI) adviser, the US news website Semafor reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.

Other potential contenders under consideration include White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, a longtime technology policy adviser to US President Donald Trump, and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, who previously departed venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz to join the administration.

"Any reporting about personnel decisions that have not been officially announced by the administration should be regarded as baseless speculation," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in response to inquiries regarding the prospective role.

The prospective appointment follows an announcement by Trump on his Truth Social platform Saturday, where he revealed plans to designate an "AI czar" alongside creating an "AI force." Trump did not provide operational specifics regarding either project or outline how the administration intends to execute them.

The news came as intense debate over artificial intelligence governance, corporate liability and technological pacing continues.