Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has been named the Trump administration's new AI czar, leading a White House task force on artificial intelligence, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
Clayton told the Journal he will oversee the "Super Intelligence Force," or SI. This is Trump's preferred term over AI. The task force has 120 days to research AI's risks and opportunities and offer recommendations on federal government responsibilities regarding the 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, according to the Journal.
Clayton previously served as Securities and Exchange Commission chair 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 White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the appointment.
The announcement follows Trump's September Truth Social post pledging to create an "AI Force" to facilitate the industry and "root out bad actors." Trump stated the administration would not "hinder or stifle" AI growth. "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply," he added in the post.
The move also comes days after AI industry leaders, including executives from major AI companies, met with Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson at the White House. Those executives signed onto voluntary safety standards that Trump described as "morally binding."
Notably, Trump has opposed federal regulation of AI despite calls from AI leaders including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for guardrails on frontier AI models. In his September post, Trump suggested AI fears were "a hoax" and blamed "Radical Left Dumocrats" for concerns about the technology.
Venture capitalist David Sacks previously held the AI and crypto czar role under Trump but said his time as a special government employee ended in March. Sacks remains co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a federal advisory committee of outside experts on technology, scientific research and innovation policy.