Clayton Named AI Czar Alongside Intelligence Role President Donald Trump has named Jay Clayton to lead a new federal task force on artificial intelligence, with Clayton widely described as th
President Donald Trump has named Jay Clayton to lead a new federal task force on artificial intelligence, with Clayton widely described as the administration's AI czar. Trump tasked Clayton with coordinating the federal government's efforts to maintain US leadership in the technology.
The group will be called the "Super Intelligence Force," or SI, the term Trump prefers over AI.Clayton said the task force would have 120 days to produce a report assessing the risks and opportunities posed by AI and recommending what role the federal government should play.
The group will be led by Clayton alongside Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, and Director of the Office of Personnel Management Scott Kupor.The task force will report to Trump and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
The appointment gives Clayton an unusually broad portfolio. He will retain his intelligence position while taking on responsibility for coordinating the administration's AI strategy."The risk of not being first is high," Clayton told the Wall Street Journal.
Clayton is a lawyer and former financial regulator who served as SEC chairman from May 2017 through December 2020.As SEC chair in Trump's first term, Clayton brought 57 crypto cases and sued Ripple over $XRP in one of his final acts.
In December of 2020, under then-Chairman Jay Clayton, the SEC sued Ripple Labs for failing to register its crypto tokens as required under US securities laws.The agency alleged the company raised $1.3 billion through unregistered XRP sales.$XRP fell 60% in the week after the filing and stayed off US exchanges for two and a half years.
For cryptocurrency investors, his return to a prominent policy role revives memories of his tenure as Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, including the SEC's landmark lawsuit against Ripple over $XRP.Crypto advocates fear Clayton could bring that same strict posture to his next role with AI regulation.
Sources:CNBC: Trump taps Jay Clayton as AI czar to lead Super Intelligence ForceSEC.gov: Statement on the Agency's Settlement with Ripple LabsInsurance Journal: Trump Names Intelligence Chief Clayton as AI Czar, to Head Task Force
