Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has been chosen as the Trump administration’s AI czar, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
The big picture: Clayton told the Journal he will lead a new White House task force with 120 days to research AI risks and opportunities and recommend what responsibilities the federal government should take on.
- "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.
Zoom in: The group will be called the Super Intelligence Force, or SI, the term Trump prefers over AI, a senior White House official told the Journal. Clayton effectively becomes the administration’s AI czar.
The backstory: Trump announced the plan in a September Truth Social post, promising to "cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows" while pledging to leave the industry’s growth alone. He added: "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!"
- Clayton chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission and served as US attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Senate confirmed him as DNI in July.
Between the lines: The appointment lands as AI industry leaders themselves call for a slowdown, following a run of high-profile rogue AI agent hacks and warnings about how fast the models are improving, CNBC reported.
- The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Why it matters: Putting the nation’s top intelligence official in charge of AI policy frames the technology as a security question first and an industry question second, and the 120-day clock means a federal posture arrives by February.
