Commerce Department Plans National AI Center in San Francisco

The US 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 US, 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 ...