Donald Trump didn’t become one of the world’s most recognizable businessmen by worrying too much about keeping everyone happy. What Trump wants, Trump tends to pursue, consequences be damned.

But his administration’s new AI task force may require a different touch. Co-chaired by director of national intelligence Jay Clayton, Office of Personnel Management director Scott Kupor, chief technology officer Emil Michael, and FTC vice chair Andrew Ferguson, the group brings together officials representing some of the competing forces shaping the administration’s approach to AI.

The choice of four co-chairs reflects a broader split over how the U.S. should approach the technology—and the challenge Trump faces in keeping those interests aligned. So who does the task force have to keep happy?

Ask around Silicon Valley and plenty of people have a clear idea of where the U.S. should be on AI: America’s overriding priority should be building more capable systems, faster. David Sacks, who played a major role in shaping the Trump White House’s AI agenda, is a leading proponent of that worldview, while task force co-chair Scott Kupor has warned against writing detailed rules for a technology that is changing so quickly.

The administration has already addressed many of this group’s concerns, including by trying to head off tougher state-level AI laws and pushing for a “minimally burdensome” federal framework.

A sizable part of the MAGA coalition wants much tougher controls on frontier AI. In May, more than 60 Trump allies—including Steve Bannon, Amy Kremer, and Brendan Steinhauser—signed a letter coordinated by Humans First calling for mandatory testing, evaluation, vetting, and government approval before potentially dangerous frontier models can be deployed.

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