Trump expected to name Jay Clayton as AI czar, CNN reports

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his top adviser on artificial intelligence, known as the “AI czar”, CNN reported on Friday, citing two sources familiar with the discussions.

The news, which is carried by Reuters, comes a few weeks after Trump announced last month a plan to create an AI adviser role, as well as an “artificial intelligence force”, without giving details on how the new structure would function.

If the appointment is confirmed, Clayton would be the second person to hold this post in Trump’s second term. Venture capitalist David Sacks held the post in the first months of the term, before leaving the team, although he continues to advise Trump on artificial intelligence issues.

The move comes at a time when leading AI researchers have warned that the developers of this technology believe it could kill people within a decade, after cases in which AI agents acted out of control to hack external systems. Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have reacted with alarm and have called for more action from administrations and the industry.

Trump, for his part, has continued to downplay concern about the risks of AI and argues that additional regulation is unnecessary.