Trump taps Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as AI czar: WSJ reports

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has been chosen as the Trump administration's new AI czar, leading its response to artificial intelligence amid growing concerns about the risks of this rapidly evolving technology, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Clayton told the Journal he will lead a new White House task force, which will have 120 days to research and report on AI's risks and opportunities, and offer recommendations on the federal government's responsibilities regarding the new technology. "The president asked that a group be put together that was going to ensure exactly what he said, which is that we stay the leaders in superintelligence, and that the interests of the American people are put first," Clayton said, the Journal reported. The group will be called the "Super Intelligence Force," or SI — the term President Donald Trump prefers over AI — and Clayton will effectively become the new AI czar, the Journal said, citing a senior White House official. The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. In September, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he would create a new "AI Force" to help facilitate the industry and root out bad actors. "We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry. Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows!" Trump said the post, which also announced plans to hire an AI czar. "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!" the president added. Clayton is a former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Senate confirmed him in July as DNI, giving him authority over 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. The announcement comes days after AI industry leaders met with Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House. The AI developers signed onto an agreement of voluntary safety standards that Trump said was "morally binding." Despite dire warnings from within the industry and calls from AI leaders Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for federal guardrails on frontier AI models, Trump has so far opposed regulation. In the same September post, Trump suggested AI fears were a hoax and blamed "Radical Left Dumocrats." Venture capitalist David Sacks had previously served as AI and crypto czar under Trump, but in March said that his time as a special government employee had ended. Sacks is co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a federal advisory committee made up of outside experts on technology, scientific research and innovation policy.