Donald Trump is doubling down on keeping AI development in the US unchecked. In a Truth Social post, he frames criticism of AI and data centers as a left-wing attack, likening it to what he calls deceptions around Russia and climate change. US communities have been pushing back against new data centers over water and energy use, environmental concerns, and rising utility costs. Fears about AI-driven job losses are growing, too.

Trump announced an “AI Force” modeled after the Space Force and said he’ll soon appoint an “AI czar,” though only candidates with a “high IQ” would qualify. He claimed AI could reach 25 percent of US economic output and vowed to hold what he described as America’s lead over China. For potential abuses, he’d use existing criminal and civil law rather than new regulations that could slow growth.

His comments follow warnings from AI lab leaders and mathematicians that developing AI at its current pace could pose an existential risk to humanity.