The Wall Street Journal reported on October 3 that President Trump has chosen Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, as his AI czar. Clayton will lead a new White House task force with 120 days to report on the risks and opportunities of AI and on what the federal government should be responsible for.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- A US newspaper says Trump chose spy chief Jay Clayton as his AI czar.
- Clayton will lead a new group called the “Super Intelligence Force”.
- It has 120 days to report on AI’s risks and opportunities.
- The White House has not announced it formally yet.
- AI czar
- The White House official who coordinates the government’s AI policy.
- Task force
- A group set up for a limited time to study one problem.
- Director of National Intelligence
- The head of all US spy agencies.
What was reported
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Clayton will be the administration’s AI czar and will chair a new task force. Reuters, CNBC and others followed, all citing the Journal.
The administration calls the group the “Super Intelligence Force”, the Journal reports. Since a September 30 order, federal documents use “Super Intelligence” in place of AI.
The group has 120 days to report on AI’s risks and opportunities. Reuters, citing the Journal, says it will also review how the government learns about breaches and hacks, and recommend ways to respond better.
From The Wall Street Journal’s report of October 3, as relayed by Reuters and Benzinga, and our September reporting.
In Clayton’s words
Clayton spoke on the record. The president wants to make sure “we stay the leaders in superintelligence, and that the interests of the American people are put first,” Clayton told the Journal, as quoted by Benzinga.
“This is very much a part of I would say the same portfolio, which is protecting the American people,” Clayton said on CNBC, according to Benzinga.
Clayton is the Director of National Intelligence. Clayton previously led the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term.
What is still open
Trump said in September that he would create an “AI Force” and name a czar, but gave no duties for either. Before the report, a White House official told the Journal that the president announces personnel decisions, Benzinga reports.
The Journal’s report names other members of the group. We could not read the full list in a source we could check, so we leave it out.
The 120 days will run to about the start of February 2027, depending on when the clock starts.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Research · October 3, 2026New AI task force to report on risks of technology after public and industry concerns The Wall Street Journal
- 2Research · October 4, 2026Trump names intelligence chief Clayton as AI czar, to head task force, WSJ reports Reuters, via The Express Tribune
- 3Research · October 4, 2026Trump Names Jay Clayton AI Czar — Here’s What His ‘Super Intelligence Force’ Will Do: Report Benzinga
The Wall Street Journal broke the story and is paywalled; we could not read it. Every report we found cites the Journal, so the headline says so. We kept the story because Clayton confirmed it on the record, to the Journal and on CNBC. Clayton’s quotes come from Benzinga, which says it uses AI tools; CNBC’s own page blocked us, and a CNBC search summary gave the same first quote. We found no White House statement.