Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, has been appointed to lead the Trump administration's new artificial intelligence task force, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Clayton will head the "Super Intelligence Force," Trump's preferred term for what is commonly called AI. The task force has 120 days to research AI's risks and opportunities and deliver recommendations on the federal government's role in regulating the technology.
"The president asked that a group be put together that was going to ensure exactly what he said, which is that we stay the leaders in superintelligence, and that the interests of the American people are put first," Clayton told the Journal.
Clayton previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission and served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Senate confirmed him as DNI in July, placing him in authority over 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.
The appointment marks Trump's second AI leadership hire. Venture capitalist David Sacks held the role of AI and crypto czar but ended his time as a special government employee in March. Sacks remains co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
The announcement follows a White House meeting where AI industry leaders, including representatives from major AI developers, agreed to voluntary safety standards. Trump characterized the agreement as "morally binding."
Major AI leaders including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have publicly called for federal regulation of frontier AI models. Trump has opposed such regulation. In September, Trump suggested AI safety concerns were "a hoax" in a Truth Social post where he announced plans to create an "AI Force" to facilitate industry growth while rooting out bad actors.
"We will not in any way hinder or stifle the Growth of this incredible Industry. Rather, we will cherish it, help it, and watch over it, as it grows," Trump said in the post, which also stated "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply" for the AI czar role.