WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump clarified on Friday that Scott Bessent, the current U.S. Treasury secretary, will not be appointed as the administration’s artificial intelligence (AI) czar. Trump emphasized that Bessent prefers to remain in his current position and has been performing effectively in his Treasury role.

“Scott Bessent will not be going to be Super Intelligence (SI) Czar. Number One, he doesn’t want to. Number Two, he’s doing such a great job at Treasury, and that’s where I want to keep him,” Trump stated on social media, using “Super Intelligence” as his preferred term for AI.

Earlier this month, Trump announced plans to create the role of an AI adviser or “AI czar” and to establish an “AI force,” though he did not provide further details on how these initiatives would be structured or implemented.

Bessent had been considered a potential candidate for the AI czar position. Last Sunday, he led discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York focused heavily on AI issues, ahead of a planned summit later this week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington. Following the talks, Bessent told reporters that the U.S. delegation proposed a bilateral notification mechanism aimed at AI safety and emphasized national security concerns.

The White House has not announced who might fill the AI czar role, leaving the position’s future uncertain. Meanwhile, Trump has consistently downplayed the risks associated with AI and expressed opposition to additional regulations, despite growing apprehension among lawmakers in Washington and across the globe regarding the potential dangers of the technology.