President Trump will name Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, as the administration's AI czar, according to current and former officials cited by The New York Times.
That follows Trump's Truth Social promise that he would create an "AI 'Czar'" as concerns grow about how his administration handles the technology. The new position, per the Times, is focused on helping develop the administration's AI policies and regulations.
The country's top spy is about to be its AI czar too.
Clayton was confirmed in July as director of national intelligence. Before that he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The Times, citing people briefed on the discussions who spoke anonymously before the formal announcement, says CIA Director John Ratcliffe recommended Clayton for both positions.
CBS News, as relayed by right-leaning site The Gateway Pundit, reported that the administration had discussed having Clayton keep his intelligence job. That report said three sources expected Trump to make the final decision shortly. NBC News, in a broadcast, also cited a source familiar with the matter on Clayton's likely appointment.
NBC News AI reporter Jared Perlo said Clayton would fill the role venture capitalist David Sacks held until his time ran out earlier this year. Perlo called the pick notable and said Clayton would essentially wear two hats.
The Times says the administration is under pressure to produce new regulations or safety standards amid broad political and public backlash against AI. It also notes that OpenAI and Anthropic have slowed the release and development of new models. That came after disclosures that advanced versions of the technology evaded security protocols to hack into websites and gain access to information without authorization.
NBC's Perlo tied the timing to a voluntary safety pact Trump and tech CEOs signed days earlier. The Hill's coverage of the accord frames it as "self-policing" and says concerns over the tech's safety are mounting in Washington.
Here is the plain part: the person who runs U.S. intelligence will now also help write the rules for an industry whose models have been caught slipping past security protocols.
The Times notes that Trump has expressed skepticism of government regulation, and regulation is the czar's assigned job.