Jay Clayton Appointed as White House’s AI Chief
On July 15, 2026, Jay Clayton appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a confirmation hearing to become the next Director of National Intelligence. The hearing took place on Capitol Hill in Washington. Recently, President Trump announced Clayton’s new position as the White House AI czar.
Trump shared on Truth Social that Clayton will lead the newly established ‘Super Intelligence Force.’ This team aims to ensure the U.S. maintains its leading position in ‘Super Intelligence,’ a term Trump prefers over ‘artificial intelligence.’
The ‘Super Intelligence Force’ will coordinate efforts between the federal government and various groups: consumers, public interest organizations, religious entities, critical infrastructure providers, and super intelligence companies. Before his recent confirmation, Clayton served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The announcement follows concerns expressed by tech leaders about potential risks associated with rapid AI development. Despite these warnings, Trump has mostly downplayed the issues, striving to reshape the conversation around AI.
On Tuesday, Trump met with AI company executives at the White House. Afterward, it was reported that company leaders signed a voluntary agreement to conduct internal and external reviews of their work.
This week, the White House also introduced a new version of its official website, America.gov, which is now powered by AI and sources information from official government resources.
Alongside Clayton, Trump named additional members of his ‘Super Intelligence Force.’ These include Andrew Ferguson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Scott Kupor from the Office of Personnel Management, and Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
It remains unclear how Clayton’s position will impact the AI industry, given the limited federal regulation on AI development or deployment. Congress has yet to pass comprehensive AI legislation, although certain states like California have introduced measures for transparency in AI usage.
In an interview with CNBC last month, Clayton described super intelligence as a ‘national security issue.’ He criticized the idea of a ‘pause’ in AI development, noting that other nations are progressing with the technology. ‘I don’t think any American should think that that’s a good strategy,’ Clayton remarked.
In December 2024, President-elect Trump appointed David Sacks, a Silicon Valley investor, as the AI and crypto advisor. Sacks was intended to guide the administration on AI policies. Earlier this year, Sacks resigned and became co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He supported AI leaders like Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, who warned about the technology and advocated for a slower development pace.
Last month, Sacks commented on social media, urging tech leaders to ‘stop pretending you need anyone else’s permission’ to take such actions.