Bessent eyed as Trump's AI czar, held China AI talks

The reporting places Bessent at the center of two tracks at once. He has long played a central role in the administration's AI policymaking, and this week he held an early dialogue with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, ahead of Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping. That conversation covered a possible 'notification mechanism' for AI incidents that pose threats to national security, which Bessent framed as part of talks about a formal US-China dialogue on AI.

The czar question is separate but related. Three sources told Semafor he is a frontrunner, yet the article is careful to note that Trump's decision is not final and that he is known to favor dark-horse candidates. The White House pushed back through spokesman Kush Desai, saying unannounced personnel reporting should be regarded as baseless speculation, and the Treasury Department did not return a request for comment.

What the outcome hinges on is whether Trump formalizes the role and picks Bessent, and whether the China talks turn into the formal dialogue Bessent described. For Treasury officials, tech policy staff, and companies watching US-China AI ties, the practical question is who ends up holding the pen — a sitting Cabinet secretary, or a dark-horse outsider.