Trump Taps Intel Chief Jay Clayton as AI Czar — SkimNews
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- President Trump announced on Truth Social that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will lead a new "Super Intelligence Force" tasked with coordinating federal AI engagement across government, industry, and civil society.
- The task force will engage consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and "Super Intelligence Companies" — with Trump explicitly preferring the term "super intelligence" over "artificial intelligence."
- Trump named three other force members: FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, OPM Director Scott Kupor, and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael.
- Clayton previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as SEC chairman before being confirmed earlier this year as Director of National Intelligence.
- AI executives who met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday signed a voluntary accord committing to internal and external reviews of their work, the same week the White House launched America.gov, a site sourced via AI from "official government sources."
- David Sacks, named AI and crypto czar in December 2024, stepped down to co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and has backed calls to "slow down" AI development — a position Clayton publicly opposes.
Why it matters: Putting a sitting Director of National Intelligence in charge of AI coordination blurs the line between national security and tech industry policy, concentrating oversight in a single official with SEC enforcement and federal prosecution experience. Clayton's stated opposition to a development "pause" — contrasting with predecessor Sacks' "slow down" stance — signals the administration is prioritizing competitive speed over precautionary limits, even as federal AI legislation remains stalled in Congress.
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