President Donald Trump is expected to appoint Jay Clayton, his director of national intelligence, to a new role as the White House artificial intelligence czar. Sources familiar with the matter told Axios that the president plans to give Clayton the title, which Trump has referred to as the "super intelligence" czar. The announcement could come as soon as Friday, according to those sources.
Clayton currently serves as the principal intelligence adviser to the president, overseeing the 18-agency intelligence community. He assumed the role earlier this year after his predecessor, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned in May. Before his elevation to director of national intelligence, Clayton served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. His qualifications for the intelligence post received bipartisan support, though he was ultimately confirmed on party lines without Democratic backing after sidestepping questions regarding the 2020 election results.
The move comes amid growing calls for government intervention in the rapid development of artificial intelligence. However, Trump has repeatedly stated that he favors a light regulatory approach and has dismissed fears about the technology's threat to humanity as a hoax. Earlier this week, when asked by Axios who he intended to name as AI czar, Trump said he had "somebody in mind." He described Clayton as "a good man" and called the appointment "a good idea." Sources indicate that Trump has been warming to the idea because Clayton has demonstrated a view that security threats posed by AI are serious.
Last month, Trump announced his intention to create an "AI Force" and name a new AI czar, though he provided few details on what the Force would do. Since that announcement, he has met with several major figures in the AI industry, some of whom have advocated for slowing the technology's development. A White House official told Axios that any personnel announcement will be made directly by the president and that reporting on the matter until then is baseless speculation.