Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the big coming thing, the next stage in the Information Revolution, and anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. It's probably a good idea for the government to stay abreast of developments of these and other new, possibly game-changing technology, like cryptocurrency. President Trump did appoint a "cryptocurrency czar" in December of 2024, that being one David Sacks, who also carried the title of "AI Czar." But Sacks, like Elon Musk, was a "special government employee," and left his position in March of 2026.
Now, President Trump is looking for a new AI Czar, one who can serve out his term. One name popped up almost immediately: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The president shot that idea down in a hurry.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 25, 2026
The president writes:
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! Why would I ever make such a change? Just more Fake News! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Well, the "he doesn't want to" is a pretty good argument all by itself. An even better argument is that Bessent is the best Treasury Secretary since Alexander Hamilton, he's valuable right where he is, and the president should leave him there. And, frankly, it's not at all clear why the Treasury Secretary would have been on the list, except perhaps because of the cryptocurrency angle.
There are a few other possibilities. These are pure speculation, mind you; as of this writing the president isn't naming any names, and neither is anyone in his administration. Even so:
Michael Kratsios, Director, Office of Science and Tech. His education is in political science and Hellenic Studies (!) but he has been a deputy chief technology officer before moving to the Office of Science and Tech. He was reportedly a key figure in selecting the personnel who worked in Elon Musk's DOGE initiative. He has favored lower regulation and less government interference in tech.
Scott Kupor, Director, Office of Personnel Management. He has a background in public policy and technology, with a degree in public policy and graduated from Stanford Law School. He has worked in tech in the private sector, including a stint with LoudCloud, a cloud computing firm.
Marc Andreessen, the co-founder of Netscape, who has been an informal tech advisor and part of Trump's inner technology circle.
Safra Catz, formerly the CEO of Oracle, and another Trump ally.
There are probably more. Of this list, only the first two are currently in the administration; it's not clear if others could be enticed out of the private sector, and in any case, as of this writing, nobody is channeling their inner Arnold Horshack, waving their hands in the air and shouting "Ooh! Ooh! Me!" But whoever the person is, it would be best to choose someone with a solid background in both technology and public policy.
This is a president, mind, who has made picks like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and, of course, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. His instincts are usually pretty good.
So, who will the AI Czar be? For that answer, we'll have to wait a little longer. But it won't be Scott Bessent, and that's good. We need to keep him right where he is.