Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton has been appointed as the new White House artificial intelligence czar, President Trump announced on Sunday. Trump shared on social media that Clayton will head the newly formed Super Intelligence Force, an initiative designed to ensure that the United States maintains its global leadership in advanced technology. Trump stated that the group will coordinate federal government interactions with consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and industry leaders. Before stepping into his current national intelligence role earlier this year, Clayton served as the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Trump’s announcement follows recent discussions with tech executives at the White House, where several leaders signed a voluntary accord committing to internal and external reviews of their work. The president has frequently preferred the term super intelligence and has often attempted to reframe warnings from tech figures about the rapid, potentially risky development of the technology. Other members appointed to the Super Intelligence Force include Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael. The implications of Clayton’s appointment for the broader tech industry remain to be seen, as federal legislative regulation of artificial intelligence is currently limited, though several states like California have introduced transparency measures. In an interview last month, Clayton described super intelligence as a critical national security matter and cautioned against pausing development while other nations continue to advance. This follows previous administration changes in this portfolio, after Silicon Valley investor David Sacks initially served as an AI and crypto czar before transitioning to co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Source: npr.org
