Trump names Jay Clayton as White House's AI czar. This is what he thinks about the technology

President Donald Trump on Sunday (October 4) named Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence (DNI), as the new head of artificial intelligence at the White House. In a post on the online platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that Clayton will spearhead the US administration's new "Super Intelligence Force" to ensure that "America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence."

Trump, who prefers the term super intelligence over artificial intelligence, said that the force will coordinate the federal government's engagement with consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers, and super intelligence companies.

Jay Clayton on AI

Clayton was earlier this year confirmed to lead the US national intelligence. Before that, he was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and previously the chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Clayton chaired the financial market regulator between 2017 and 2020.

In an interview with CNBC last month, Clayton had called super intelligence a "national security issue." He also denounced calls for a pause in developing the technology, saying that other nations around the world were continuing to develop AI. "I don't think any American should think that that's a good strategy," he said in the interview.

Other members of task force

Other members of the Super Intelligence Force include: Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael.

The group will have 120 days to research and report on risks and opportunities associated with AI, and offer recommendations on the federal government's responsibilities with regards to the technology.

Tech leaders raise alarm

Trump's announcement comes after numerous statements by tech leaders, raising alarm over the risks stemming from the rapid development of AI. The president has largely rejected the warnings. On Tuesday, Trump met AI executives at the White House, saying that the leaders of several AI companies had signed a voluntary agreement that will include internal and external reviews of their work.

It remains unclear what Clayton's appointment as AI czar means for the industry as the US government currently has limited regulation of artificial intelligence. The Congress has not passed federal law broadly regulating the use or development of the technology.

But some states, including California, have enacted measures around AI, such as requiring entities to be transparent about the use of the technology.