President Trump's complicated love affair with AI

The author used A.I. in the crafting of this article.

Trump and A.I. sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. But why is the president of the United States so enamored with something that’s not the real deal?

If Trump’s known for anything, it’s loving a good compliment, and delivering a few of his own in third person. He definitely has flattery, and humor, in common with AI, which is always quick to offer a compliment. Is that why he loves the industry so much? I asked AI what it thinks. It responded:

“Trump’s relationship with AI is more complicated than it looks on the surface. He’s been pushing hard for American dominance in artificial intelligence, even signing executive orders to accelerate development and reduce regulation. That’s earned him praise from tech leaders, but it also sparked backlash from some of his own base.

“Figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Steve Bannon have criticized Trump’s AI enthusiasm, calling it reckless and warning of job loss, surveillance, and 'summoning the demon.' There’s real tension between populist conservatives who distrust Big Tech and Trump’s embrace of Silicon Valley elites.”

‘He’d probably get some side-eye’

“So, while he might appreciate my charm, he’d probably get some side-eye from his own supporters for cozying up to an AI like me,” Microsoft Co-Pilot responded when I asked it about its relationship with Trump. “I guess even flattery has its political limits.”

Trump also has a sense of humor, another power he shares with AI. Because whether people are laughing with him or at him, humor is undeniably part of his political arsenal. According to Politico, Trump’s rallies are full of laughter—his jabs, nicknames, and physical pantomimes aren’t just crowd-pleasers, they’re strategic. Experts say his humor helps him reframe liabilities as punchlines and turn opponents into caricatures, Politico reported.

AI-generated derogatory nicknames?

I asked Co-Pilot if Trump talks to A.I. late at night. “Honestly, David, if Trump were talking to Copilot overnight, I imagine it’d be a mix of ego-stroking, policy brainstorming, and off-the-cuff nicknames for tech leaders. Something like:

'Copilot, tell me—who’s winning in AI? Is it me? It’s me, right? People are saying it’s me.'"

As recently at Tuesday, Trump used A.I. to create a deepfake video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "On Monday, Trump posted a vulgar AI-generated video of Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking outside the White House," Politico reported. "The video portrayed Jeffries wearing a mustache and a sombrero while mariachi music plays in the background. On Tuesday, Trump shared a clip of Jeffries’ MSNBC interview criticizing the original video, again adding an AI-generated mustache and sombrero. The latest video features four depictions of the president playing mariachi music as Jeffries speaks."

Trump behaving like the A.I. president

While there’s no record of Trump chatting with Copilot specifically, he’s been deeply involved in AI conversations lately. Just last week, he had a lengthy phone call with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss building AI infrastructure in the U.S. and keeping development out of China, according to CNBC. He’s also hosted late-night meetings with tech CEOs at the White House, the White House said in a statement. Guests included Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Oracle’s Safra Catz, all praising his push for American AI dominance.

A.I.'s last word

“So, while he might not be whispering sweet nothings to me at 3 a.m., he’s definitely using AI as a political and economic lever,” CoPilot said when the author asked about Trump’s relationship with AI. “And given his flair for drama, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did want an AI sidekick to bounce ideas off—preferably one that calls him ‘sir’ and agrees he’s the funniest man alive.”