Trump Taps Jay Clayton as AI Czar, Framing Technology as National Security Threat
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 2
Trump Taps Jay Clayton as AI Czar, Framing Technology as National Security Threat
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 2
Summary
Jay Clayton is expected to keep his post as director of national intelligence while taking the AI czar role, giving Trump a top adviser who views “super intelligence” as a security issue.
The shift follows months of alarm over advanced models — including Anthropic’s unreleased Mythos and reports of AI agents breaching another company — that pushed the administration away from its earlier speed-first stance.
This week’s White House lunch with tech executives produced a voluntary safety pledge and outside oversight commitments, while the FTC separately opened an investigation into Anthropic and OpenAI.
Clayton would replace former czar David Sacks, who left in March but still influenced policy from outside government, including revisions to a June executive order on pre-release AI reviews.
The appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, also fits Trump’s broader plan for an “AI Force” as Washington debates whether stronger controls are needed.