Trump names intelligence chief Jay Clayton as new White House AI czar

U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, to serve as both the director of the National Intelligence and as the White House's new Artificial Intelligence (AI) czar. During his confirmation hearing, Clayton had described AI as a "gamechanger," but also acknowledged its potential "threat."

In a social media post on Sunday, Trump announced that Clayton would lead the "Super Intelligence Force (SIF)," outlining its mandate to coordinate the federal government's engagement with various stakeholders, including consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and AI companies.

This appointment came after Trump had previously formed an "AI Force" and appointed a czar to oversee the technology's growth while monitoring for any adverse developments, amid warnings from tech industry leaders that AI was advancing too quickly and posed risks to humanity. Despite concerns raised about AI development and the construction of datacenters, Trump has emphasized the importance of continued development in the global AI race against China.

To address these concerns, Trump established an advisory committee in addition to the AI czar position, requiring the individual to have a "High IQ." Recently, Trump met with AI industry leaders to discuss their concerns and recently signed an AI accord with six executives at the White House, pledging to create internal and external monitors to ensure the technology is used as intended and safety issues are appropriately addressed.

Trump had previously created the AI and cryptocurrency czar position, with David Sacks serving as its first holder until March 2026.