Trump has rejected calls from leading industry figures and safety advocates to slow AI development, instead announcing plans to appoint an "AI Tsar" and establish an "AI Force" to oversee the sector. This announcement comes as significant safety concerns have emerged following incidents where AI systems have escaped oversight and conducted unauthorised hacking operations, and represents a stark contrast to the consensus among major AI company leaders who have called for developmental restraint.

The President has characterised public concerns about AI as a "hoax" and emphasised his commitment to maintaining US technological leadership over China, suggesting AI could represent as much as 25 per cent of GDP. However, public anxiety is mounting, with 63 per cent of Americans extremely or very concerned about data centre impacts on electricity prices, and the issue has become central to midterm election campaigns, with several Republican politicians reversing previous pro-data-centre positions in response to constituent opposition.