Trump plans to create an "AI Corps" to advance U.S. AI development

U.S. President Trump has said he plans to create an "AI Corps" and appoint a new AI commissioner to push the federal government to aggressively expand artificial intelligence, while rejecting industry calls to slow down. The announcement comes amid growing concerns about AI safety, the electricity consumption of data centers and the risks posed by increasingly powerful models — concerns that Washington and Silicon Valley have found hard to ignore. Trump unveiled the plan on Saturday, drawing a parallel between the proposed AI Corps and the Space Force created during his administration.

Specific details about its structure, responsibilities, or whether it would be a civilian or military organization have not been provided. Trump also said he would appoint a new AI commissioner, but did not reveal who would hold the position. Still, the move clearly signals that the Trump administration wants the United States to maintain momentum in its competition with China.

Trump's View on the Risks

Trump dismissed the existing systems for addressing potential risks and brushed off concerns that increasingly powerful AI systems could eventually pose an existential threat, calling those worries a "scam" and arguing that existing criminal and civil justice systems can be used to deal with harmful applications. Writing on Truth Social, he said: "We will in no way let this incredible industry be hindered or stopped in any way. Instead, we will cherish it, help it, and supervise its growth as it blossoms into one of the greatest and most important industries in the history of our country! However, we will also look for bad news, and that is very easy to do because we already have the existing criminal and civil justice systems."

He drew parallels between AI and previous technological transformations such as the Industrial Revolution and the internet. Trump also noted that the technology could ultimately have an impact on the U.S. economy equivalent to 25% of GDP, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining the country's position in the competition with China.

The Challenge of Data Center Power Consumption

Former White House AI and crypto commissioner David Sacks believes that concerns about AI threatening humanity are overblown, although he also acknowledges that some caution is necessary, according to CBS News. Moreover, this debate is not only about the capabilities AI systems may ultimately possess, because the infrastructure used to build and operate these systems is already straining the power grid. AI data centers require massive amounts of electricity for computation and cooling, and their expansion is creating new challenges for the grid, utilities and local communities.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global data center electricity consumption will roughly double from 485 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025 to about 950 TWh by 2030. Power use by AI-focused data centers is expected to grow even faster, potentially tripling over the same period. The United States is expected to account for a substantial share of that growth.

The IEA forecasts that data centers will account for nearly half of the growth in U.S. electricity demand by 2030. Trump had previously recognized the political implications of this expansion, pushing a "consumer protection pledge" aimed at making major tech companies shoulder the electricity costs associated with their data center expansion rather than passing those costs on to households. The White House also plans to hold discussions with companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, xAI, Oracle and OpenAI over voluntary commitments to procure or generate the electricity their data centers need, potentially through dedicated power agreements or on-site generation.

The Strategic Significance of the AI Corps

Trump's plan to create an "AI Corps" reflects a strong U.S. intent in the global tech competition, particularly with China. The move not only signals recognition of the potential of AI technology, but also shows the government's emphasis on safeguarding the country's standing. However, as AI advances rapidly, the associated infrastructure demands and electricity consumption issues are becoming increasingly pronounced, which may bring new challenges for the U.S. power grid and society. As a result, how to balance technology promotion with environmental impact will become an important topic for future policymaking.