Politics
• Analysis
Trump names Jay Clayton as White House AI czar
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Jay Clayton, his director of national intelligence, will also serve as the new White House AI czar and lead what Trump calls the Super Intelligence Force.
By Haut Monde Post
• October 4, 2026
• 3 Min Read
Inside the Super Intelligence Force
In the same Sunday social media post, Trump said Clayton would head what he calls the Super Intelligence Force, or SIF. According to the post, the body is to coordinate how the federal government engages with:
- •consumers
- •public interest groups
- •religious organizations
- •critical infrastructure providers
- •super intelligence companies
To address concerns, the president created an advisory committee alongside the czar role, which he had earlier promised would be held by a "High IQ" individual.
Who Jay Clayton is
Clayton currently heads the country's 18 intelligence agencies as director of national intelligence. Earlier in his career, he was the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan and ran the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term.
At his Senate confirmation hearing, Clayton called AI a "gamechanger" while saying it also posed "a threat". He told lawmakers during that hearing:
"When something's both an opportunity and a threat, you better get your arms around it."
Trump had already floated Clayton for the czar job in September, telling Axios that he is "a good man" and that appointing him was "a good idea".
The vacancy David Sacks left
Trump created the combined AI and cryptocurrency czar position when he returned to the White House in January 2025. Venture capitalist David Sacks held the post until March 2026, when he hit his employment limit as a "special government employee". Sacks remains co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
Where Trump's AI policy stands
In September, Trump announced an "AI Force" and a czar to oversee the technology's growth and monitor for "bad" development. The move came after tech industry leaders warned that AI was developing too rapidly to control and could harm humans. Trump has largely brushed aside concerns about AI development and the datacenters that power it, arguing that continued development is paramount to defeating China in the global AI race.
He recently met with AI industry leaders to discuss their concerns, and on Tuesday he and six executives signed an AI accord at the White House promising to create internal and external monitors to ensure the technology is used as intended and safety issues are addressed.
The appointment, first reported by CBS News, pairs the White House AI job with Clayton's intelligence duties.
