Who is David Sacks, the Trump Administration’s AI and Cryptocurrency “Tsar” ?

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Donald Trump continues to form his administration. After the controversial appointment of Elon Musk and Jared Isaacman, the president-elect has just named David Sacks as the “ White House AI and Cryptocurrency Czar “.

A member of the ” Paypal Mafia “

” David will focus on making America the undisputed world leader in both areas. He will preserve free speech online and move us away from the bias and censorship of big tech companies ,” the Republican wrote in a post on his social network Truth Social.

The nomination confirms the approach taken by Donald Trump, who seems determined to reward Silicon Valley figures who supported his campaign. This is a real about-face for David Sacks, who had strongly criticized the president in 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol. But he has since changed his tune, notably by defending increasingly conservative ideas in his podcast dedicated to technology All-In, which is widely followed across the Atlantic.

Sacks is considered a member of the ” PayPal mafia “, which includes former employees and executives of the company, including Peter Thiel and Elon Musk. Aged 52, he is the co-founder of the venture capital firm Craft Ventures.

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Total deregulation

David Sacks' arrival in this position reflects Donald Trump's ambition to completely deregulate the cryptocurrency sector. The entrepreneur will be responsible for “working on a legal framework so that the cryptocurrency industry has the clarity it demands and can thrive in the United States,” said the president-elect. Sacks has ambitions to build a strategic reserve of Bitcoin and make the United States the world capital of mining.

On artificial intelligence, the Trump administration has pledged to rescind President Biden’s executive order to promote the safe and secure development of the technology. Sacks’ approach is expected to be very flexible, with a focus on regulating the use of AI in certain critical applications, rather than regulating the development of the models themselves.

Conflicts of Interest

Much like Elon Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Sacks will become a “special government employee” and will be able to serve a maximum of 130 days per year, with or without pay. In practical terms, he won’t be subject to hearings or financial reporting requirements, and he won’t wield the direct power that comes with more formal roles.

Despite this little machination, questions of conflict of interest are bound to arise. David Sacks launched Glue this year, a Slack alternative powered entirely by artificial intelligence. His decisions could have a direct impact on the company.

• David Sacks has just been named “ White House AI and Cryptocurrency Czar ” by Donald Trump.
• Co-founder of Paypal and close to Elon Musk, he is an influential person in Silicon Valley.
• He should carry Donald Trump's deregulation policy towards new technologies.

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