GoKawiilThe top Pentagon technology official said Wednesday the Trump administration shouldn't seek to nationalize or take partial government stakes in artificial intelligence companies.
"I hope not," Emil Michael, Department of Defense chief technology officer, told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" when asked about that prospect of partial government ownership, which has emerged amid growing concerns about rapid AI advancement.
Despite its frequent warnings about the dangers of big-government socialism, President Donald Trump's second administration has taken stakes in a growing portfolio of private-sector companies, including a 10% stake in Intel and a "golden share" in U.S. Steel, now a subsidiary of Nippon Steel .
But when it comes to AI, Michael told CNBC, "We don't want government to get in the middle."
"That doesn't really go well in terms of nationalization," he said, noting that U.S. AI leaders are among the "biggest companies in the history of the world."
Michael also repeatedly signaled opposition to ramping up government regulatory oversight of those companies, even as AI leaders such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have warned the industry should slow its fast-improving models to mitigate risks.