David Sacks, Trump’s AI Adviser, Pushes for Limited Regulation

Summary

David Sacks, the billionaire venture capitalist who served as Donald Trump’s AI and crypto czar, is portrayed as the president’s most influential adviser on artificial intelligence policy. Sacks argues that regulation could erase the United States’ lead in the global AI race and has repeatedly urged Trump to take a light-touch approach. The article links his influence to Trump’s December executive order directing a federal taskforce to challenge state AI restrictions, a later White House policy encouraging Congress to pre-empt state rules, the cancellation of a proposed government review of AI models, and the administration’s July AI action plan. Sacks also has financial interests in AI companies through Craft Ventures, which reported $3.3bn in assets under management in 2023, although government ethics rules required divestment from some AI holdings during his government service. He dismissed a public letter from more than 100 researchers and technologists calling for independent evaluations of AI models, describing third-party evaluation as “pseudoscience” and “censorship and control.” His position conflicts with warnings from Anthropic employees and CEO Dario Amodei, who proposed slowing technological progress to improve public safety, as well as with support for regulation expressed by Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis and Elon Musk. Trump has continued to side with Sacks despite concerns from administration officials and criticism that they are out of step with public opinion; a May poll cited by the article found that 85% of Republicans supported strong action to ensure AI is developed and deployed safely. Trump has announced plans for an “AI Force” led by an AI czar, but it remains unclear whether Sacks will return to the role. Critics argue that his access to the president demonstrates how wealthy technology investors can shape the rules governing AI.