Donald Trump has rejected reports linking Scott Bessent to the new AI leadership post. The Treasury secretary will remain in his current position as global regulation debates intensify.
Donald Trump addressed the issue in a social media message after reports named Scott Bessent as a possible candidate. Bessent will remain in charge of the Department of the Treasury, the US president said. Trump made the statement just days after announcing a new AI force and a senior role tied to "Super Intelligence," or SI.
Bessent had emerged as a leading candidate for the post. Trump dismissed that possibility and said Bessent did not want the job. He also said the secretary was doing an excellent job at Treasury and wanted him to stay there.
Before Trump’s latest statement, Bessent himself described reports of a possible appointment as “probably fake news” and said: “There’s one AI czar, and that’s President Trump.”
The planned AI structure now has no confirmed leader. The decision also blocks a possible move for one of the administration's senior economic officials. The issue comes as artificial intelligence draws more attention in national policy and international competition.
Reuters reported on September 22 that Bessent was under consideration. The report also said no decision had been made.
That possibility is closed for now.
Trump called the reports false news and questioned why he would make such a change. His position was direct. Bessent will not lead "Super Intelligence," and his Treasury assignment will not change. Trump also said Bessent was performing well at Treasury and should remain there.
The original announcement came a week earlier. Trump created a "fuerza de la IA" to promote the development of the technology. Reuters, NBC, CBS and the BBC reported on September 19 that he had announced the "AI Force" and planned to appoint an AI coordinator, or "czar." No name or operating details were provided at that stage.
The Associated Press reported that the administration directed US diplomats to use “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in its messaging. The change in terminology forms part of the wider shift from the announced AI Force to the proposed “SI czar” role.
The plan remains the main reference point in the dispute. The available information does not establish who would oversee the SI role.
Trump's clarification came during the United Nations General Assembly. It also followed a two-day state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Those events have put the debate over AI regulation beside the push to develop the technology.
The choice of a US AI leader now carries added political weight.
Bessent's views on regulation are part of his public role in the administration's AI discussions. CNBC reported that he said AI developers "need to take responsibility for themselves" rather than depend on a federal liability shield. That position helped make the reported appointment a policy question as well as a personnel matter.
As earlier coverage showed in another White House dispute, the administration's public messaging can quickly become part of the story itself. This message does more than deny a personnel rumor. It confirms that Trump is publicly defending Bessent's position at Treasury.
The facts point to a narrow conclusion. Bessent is not taking the reported AI position. Trump says the secretary does not want it. The Treasury Department is where the president expects him to remain.
The AI force has been announced, but its leadership is still unsettled in the available material. A rumored appointment cannot be treated as a completed policy decision. For now, the clear development is the removal of one prominent name from consideration. Trump has chosen continuity at Treasury over a high-profile transfer into the administration's emerging AI structure.
