Pentagon CTO says U.S. government shouldn't take stakes in tech giants, questions adding AI regs

The 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 .