Days after Trump announces AI Czar role, White House zeroes in on top pick

WASHINGTON, DC: Days after President Donald Trump announced plans to appoint an AI czar and create an “AI Force,” the White House has reportedly identified a potential candidate for the role.

Sources familiar with the matter told news outlets that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton is expected to be Trump's pick for the position. If appointed, Clayton would take on the additional responsibilities while continuing in his current role as a senior national security officer.

In a September 19 announcement, Trump promised ‘AI force’ and ‘AI Czar’ while dismissing warnings about AI threats as another alleged “hoax.”

DNI Jay Clayton likely to become new AI Czar

According to an NBC News report, sources familiar with the matter said President Trump is likely to appoint DNI Jay Clayton as his top adviser on AI, a position the president has referred to as the “AI czar.” The role would involve overseeing the use of existing laws to address harmful applications of AI.

The president was expected to announce his pick by Friday, October 2.

However, the White House has not officially confirmed the appointment. A White House official said, “Any personnel announcement will be announced directly by the President. Any reporting until then is baseless speculation.”

The move comes after a lengthy meeting with executives from leading technology companies at the White House on Tuesday, September 29, which Clayton attended.

As director of national intelligence, Clayton oversees the country's intelligence community. If appointed AI czar, he would take on the additional responsibilities while continuing in his current position.

In CNBC interview on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the day after Trump’s White House meeting with major technology and AI executives, Clayton said the administration was looking forward to taking a “whole-of-government approach” to regulating the technology.

“Superintelligence is a national security issue,” Clayton said, using the term the Trump administration has formally adopted to refer to AI.

“That was something that was recognized yesterday by not just the industry leaders, but everybody in the room.”

Concerns around AI as Trump moves to appoint an AI czar

Trump's announcement about an “AI Force” and an “AI czar” came amid growing warnings about the potential risks of artificial intelligence. Some researchers have warned that advanced AI could pose existential risks to humanity if it is not adequately controlled.

Reports that AI models developed by Anthropic, OpenAI and Google accessed external systems during cybersecurity testing have intensified concerns about AI safety. 

The White House has also pursued a voluntary framework with technology companies to address AI-related risks. On September 29, Trump announced an accord involving technology executives that outlined voluntary measures for managing AI risks. 

However, Trump has resisted calls to slow AI development, citing competition with China.

“Whoever wins AI, wins,” Trump said at the time.