By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump is likely to name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his administration’s artificial intelligence czar while allowing Clayton to continue leading the U.S. intelligence community, according to a new report citing multiple people briefed on the discussions.
Three sources told CBS News that Clayton is the likely choice and that Trump is expected to make a final decision shortly. The arrangement under consideration would add responsibility for the administration’s developing AI strategy to Clayton’s existing duties as director of national intelligence.
The appointment has not been formally announced. A White House official cautioned CBS News that the decision remains Trump’s to make, saying, “Any personnel announcement will be announced directly by the President. Any reporting until then is baseless speculation.”
The report follows days of public indications that Clayton was under consideration. Trump recently told Axios that Clayton would be a “good man” for the position and that placing him in the role would be a “good idea.” Clayton, meanwhile, avoided directly answering questions during a CNBC interview about whether he had been offered the job or would accept it, while describing advanced artificial intelligence as a national-security concern.
Clayton has served as the ninth director of national intelligence since Aug. 3, according to his official White House biography. In that position, he oversees the U.S. intelligence community and serves as the president’s principal intelligence adviser.
Before becoming DNI, Clayton served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2017 through 2020 during Trump’s first administration and previously spent decades practicing corporate law.
Trump’s selection of Clayton would place an official already responsible for intelligence and national-security matters at the center of an expanding White House effort to shape federal policy toward increasingly powerful AI systems.
The president signaled last month that he intended to create an “AI Force” and choose a single official to help oversee the initiative. In a lengthy Truth Social statement, Trump portrayed artificial intelligence as an economic and technological competition in which he said the United States should emphasize development rather than impose restrictions that could slow the industry.
“Over the years, there have been many Hoaxes, all generated by the Radical Left Dumocrats, for purposes of destroying our Country. RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, UKRAINE, Global Warming, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, Men in Women’s Sports, Transgender for Everyone, and now, the decimation, or destruction, of AI, commonly known as Artificial Intelligence — And I, as President of the United States, will not stand by and let this happen,” Trump said.
Trump tied the issue in part to opposition that has emerged in some communities over the construction of large data centers needed to support AI systems.
“It all began with an attack on our Data Centers, until people realized how wealthy and prestigious they were for the Communities in which they were built. Higher Salaries, Lower Taxes, and Safer Streets, was the result, and the crazed Data Center attack has largely failed, so now, in much the same way as they changed the term “Global Warming” to “Climate Change,” in that it covers a much larger “territory” of doubt, they are going straight at AI,” Trump said.
Those statements reflect Trump’s characterization of the political debate surrounding AI and data-center development. Communities around the country have raised varying concerns about data centers, including electricity demand, water consumption, land use, tax incentives and their effects on local infrastructure.
Trump said his administration intends to encourage the industry’s expansion while using existing law-enforcement mechanisms to address illegal conduct involving the technology.
“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! However, we will also be looking for BAD, and we can do that, very easily, with our already existing Criminal and Civil Justice System. For this purpose, I am forming the AI Force, much like I did Space Force, which has been a tremendous SUCCESS, in my First Term,” Trump said.
The president then disclosed that he planned to select a new official to oversee the effort.
“To that end, I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI “Czar” — Only High I.Q. individuals need apply! AI is the next Industrial Revolution, or Internet, but will be even larger and more impactful, possibly as much as 25% of our Country’s GDP. We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added.
Trump’s estimate that AI could ultimately represent as much as 25% of U.S. gross domestic product was a projection by the president, not a government economic forecast.
The prospective Clayton appointment also comes days after Trump convened leaders from many of the country’s largest technology and AI companies at the White House.
Executives from companies including Meta, Nvidia, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI participated in the Sept. 29 gathering, where industry leaders signed a set of voluntary AI safety principles. Trump described the commitments as “morally binding” and compared the agreement to a constitution for the industry.
Following the gathering, Trump told reporters that he expected to name an AI czar within three or four days.
“We have somebody that’s extraordinary,” Trump said, according to CBS News reporting on the White House meeting.
The precise authority of the new position has not yet been publicly defined. “Czar” is an informal Washington title rather than a statutory office and can encompass substantially different responsibilities depending on how a president structures the position.
It also remains unclear how the proposed AI Force would relate to existing federal agencies and White House offices already responsible for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, national security, technology standards, antitrust enforcement and export controls.
Trump has generally favored a lighter federal regulatory approach designed to accelerate American AI development and prevent China from overtaking the United States in advanced computing. His administration has simultaneously identified AI as a national-security issue requiring federal attention.
A June national security presidential memorandum established federal directives involving artificial intelligence in the national-security enterprise, including its use by defense and intelligence agencies.
Clayton’s current position could make those national-security questions a significant component of an expanded AI portfolio. As DNI, he coordinates intelligence from agencies across the federal government and advises the president on threats involving foreign governments, cyber operations and emerging technologies.
During a CNBC interview this week, Clayton said “super intelligence is a national security issue” and argued against pausing development of advanced American AI systems. He also suggested that existing federal agencies such as the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission can address misconduct associated with AI rather than requiring the government to stop technological development.
Trump has similarly resisted calls for broad restrictions on AI development, arguing that excessive regulation could undermine U.S. competitiveness.
The administration’s approach comes amid a widening debate involving technology executives, researchers and lawmakers over how the government should respond to rapidly improving AI capabilities. Concerns include cyberattacks, fraud, manipulation, employment disruption, autonomous systems and the potential for increasingly capable models to behave in unexpected ways.
The industry itself remains divided over how much government involvement is appropriate. Some executives have advocated stronger safeguards for the most advanced systems, while others have warned that burdensome regulation could slow American innovation and benefit foreign competitors.
Trump has sought to position the United States as the global leader in AI while relying heavily on industry participation and existing federal enforcement mechanisms rather than a broad new regulatory regime.
Clayton’s potential appointment would add another layer to that strategy by putting an official with experience in securities regulation, federal prosecution and intelligence oversight in a central AI policy role.
Before entering the intelligence post, Clayton’s government career was largely focused on financial markets and law enforcement. As SEC chairman during Trump’s first term, he led the federal agency responsible for regulating securities markets and publicly traded companies. He later became U.S. attorney in Manhattan before Trump selected him to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence earlier this year.
The White House announced Clayton’s DNI nomination in June, and he was subsequently confirmed before taking office in August.
If Trump ultimately assigns Clayton both jobs, the administration would be combining its top intelligence position with an emerging AI portfolio at a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly intertwined with national security, cybersecurity, economic competition and relations with China.
For now, however, the appointment remains prospective. CBS News reported that Trump is expected to make the final decision shortly, while the White House has emphasized that any official personnel announcement will come directly from the president.
According to CBS News, President Trump will soon announce that he has chosen Jay Clayton to be his AI Czar.
Clayton will still remain in his role as Director of National Intelligence.
CBS News reported:
Original articleJay Clayton will likely be the White House’s pick for AI czar, and the Trump administration has been discussing having him remain in his current role as director of national intelligence, according to sources briefed on the matter.
President Trump is expected to make the final decision shortly, three of the sources said.
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