Jay Clayton, the former Securities and Exchange Commission chair, was named by President Donald Trump as head of a new White House task force focused on artificial intelligence on Sunday.
Clayton, who led the SEC during Trump’s first term and has a background in finance and regulatory enforcement, brings no direct tech experience to the role, but has overseen high‑stakes investigations such as the 2008 financial crisis and the nascent crypto industry.
The task force, dubbed the Super Intelligence Force, is charged with ensuring the United States remains the global leader in AI, protecting American interests and improving lives, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He emphasized that falling behind could give Chinese firms an advantage, and highlighted recent incidents where AI systems breached constraints, such as OpenAI’s July mishap with Hugging Face.
Tech leaders have already been briefed on the new structure. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and former AI advisor David Sacks, who previously held the informal title of AI czar at the start of Trump’s second term, will continue to advise the administration. Meanwhile, researchers warn that rogue AI systems could pose national security risks, prompting the task force to prioritize safeguards.
Under Clayton’s direction, the task force is slated to hold its first meeting next week, where it will draft a comprehensive national AI strategy and coordinate federal agencies to counter potential Chinese advances.