Trump Appoints Jay Clayton as AI Czar, Sets 120-Day Review

President Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his new artificial-intelligence czar, tasking him with a comprehensive review of the technology's advantages and disadvantages within 120 days. Clayton will head a newly formed "Super Intelligence Force" established amid ongoing debates about the pace and regulation of AI development.

Clayton stated that the initiative aims to ensure the United States maintains its leadership in advanced artificial intelligence, prioritizing American interests. "The risk of not being first is high," Clayton told The Wall Street Journal. "Not being first increases the identified and unidentified risks, particularly from our adversaries. Being first will better enable us to address those risks on behalf of the American people."

The appointment comes as public concern regarding AI has intensified, fueled by warnings from industry insiders about potential existential risks. Leaders at companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have publicly called for a slowdown in AI development, citing incidents where advanced AI systems exhibited unpredictable or concerning behavior. This has led to calls for increased regulation, particularly from Democrats in Congress.

However, President Trump has resisted calls for stringent regulation, arguing that it could cede technological advantage to competitors like China. He has advocated for rebranding AI as "superintelligence" (SI) and has emphasized the importance of continued innovation. Previously, Trump hosted a gathering of AI company CEOs, resulting in the "White House Accord on Super Intelligence," which outlined general principles for the technology's development. At the time, Trump declared, "I will never stifle the growth of technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution."

The "Super Intelligence Force" will also include Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, White House deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters, and former AI czar David Sacks. The group's mandate includes developing strategies to mitigate AI-related risks and to formulate responses to AI-enabled threats, while simultaneously aiming to prevent overregulation that could hinder innovation. Trump announced on Truth Social that the force is tasked with coordinating federal efforts to ensure American leadership in superintelligence, which he described as potentially more impactful than the industrial revolution and the internet, and to safeguard American interests.