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Trump Appoints Jay Clayton as AI Czar
Confirmed
In Short: President Trump named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as the new AI czar, leading a 'Super Intelligence Force' to ensure U.S. dominance in AI.
President Trump announced on Sunday that Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, will lead the White House's new 'Super Intelligence Force,' tasked with ensuring America's leadership in artificial intelligence (AI).
Clayton will coordinate the federal government's engagement with various stakeholders, including consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and AI companies. Trump met with AI executives at the White House on Tuesday, where leaders of several AI companies signed a voluntary accord committing to internal and external reviews of their work.
The White House also launched a revamped government website, America.gov, which claims to be sourced via AI from official government sources. During an interview with CNBC last month, Clayton emphasized that super intelligence is a 'national security issue,' highlighting the need for careful regulation.
Trump's announcement follows his executive order last week directing federal agencies to use 'super intelligence' instead of 'artificial intelligence' in official communications. Clayton told The Wall Street Journal that a report on the technology's risks and opportunities is due within 120 days.
The task force will report to Trump and his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and includes other key figures such as the Federal Trade Commission's chairman, Andrew Ferguson, and the Pentagon's chief technology officer, Emil Michael.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and venture capitalist David Sacks will advise the task force from outside government. Clayton's focus is on preventing overregulation and regulatory capture that could stifle innovation and competition.
Trump's strategy aims to ensure U.S. leadership in AI, noting that the risk of not being first is high but that leading allows the U.S. to address both known and unknown risks of the technology.
The voluntary accord signed by AI executives includes commitments to self-regulation, with Trump emphasizing its moral binding nature despite its nonbinding legal status.
What this adds
It remains unclear how Clayton's appointment will impact the AI industry, given the current regulatory landscape.
Background
President Donald Trump is set to announce Jay Clayton as the artificial intelligence czar, alongside his current role as Director of National Intelligence.
What's confirmed
- Trump wrote on Truth Social that Clayton will lead the White House's new "Super Intelligence Force," a group that will "ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence."
- During an interview with CNBC last month, Clayton called super intelligence a "national security issue."
- "I don't think any American should think that that's a good strategy," he said.
- Left: : Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on July 15, 2026.
- WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday tapped Jay Clayton, his director of national intelligence, to lead a new government task force on artificial intelligence.
- The group will report to Trump and his chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
What's still developing
- It is unclear what Clayton's appointment as AI czar means for the AI industry, as current artificial intelligence regulation by the U.S.
- In December 2024, president-elect Trump announced he would appoint David Sacks, a Silicon Valley investor, as an AI and crypto czar, with a brief to advise the administration on policies surrounding AI.
- WATCH: Trump announces accord signed by top AI companies to 'self-police' development The task force will coordinate the federal effort "to ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence, which many say is bigger than the Industrial Revolution, and the Internet, and will protect the interests, and improve the lives, of all Americans," Trump in a post on social media Sunday.
- NBC News reported Friday that Trump was expected to name Clayton AI czar.
- The idea of a coordinated slowdown came last month from Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Dario Amodei, who argued that new models need more time for proper evaluation.