Commerce Department Plans National AI Center in San Francisco

The U.S. Department of Commerce is preparing to open a national artificial-intelligence center in San Francisco, putting it closer to firms at the center of some of the government’s most high-profile initiatives.

In addition to the Bay Area, AI export officials will be based in cities across the U.S., according to a Commerce official, who asked not to be identified.

The Trump administration is looking to increase the country’s edge in AI and defense, industries that are largely based in California. It also aims to exploit natural resources in the state to increase the nation’s energy independence and bolster its geopolitical leverage.

The president has engaged in recent public spats with California Gov. Gavin Newsom — who’s weighing a presidential run — and sought to wield more influence in state matters. In recent weeks, the administration has intervened in key energy projects there, including a hydro-power dam, bans on natural gas and an oil pipeline.

This month, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also announced a key trade deal with Taiwan, with the self-governed island’s technology industry committing to making at least $250 billion in direct investments to expand advanced semiconductor, energy and AI operations in the U.S.

Top photo: The Transamerica Pyramid building, right, stands in the skyline of downtown in this aerial photograph taken above San Francisco, California. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg.