CBS reports Jay Clayton is likely Trump's pick for AI czar

CBS News reported on Thursday, citing multiple sources briefed on the matter, that Jay Clayton is likely to be President Trump's choice as the White House's AI czar. The sources said Clayton may keep his current job as director of national intelligence while taking the new role, which would put one official over both the intelligence agencies and AI policy.

The report is not confirmed. A White House official told CBS that any personnel announcement would come directly from the President, and that any reporting before then was baseless speculation. CBS described its story as breaking and subject to updates, and we have not seen a second outlet confirm the choice.

The post has been vacant on paper since Trump said last month that he would appoint an AI czar. According to CBS, he described the role then with the line "Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!", and the choice has since been the subject of speculation in Washington.

CBS says the timing follows a White House meeting at which leaders of major AI companies signed voluntary safety standards. After it, the outlet reports, Trump told reporters he planned to name someone within three or four days and called the candidate "extraordinary". That window has now passed without an announcement, as far as CBS reports.

What the job would cover is not defined in the CBS report, including whether it would carry authority over agencies or act as an adviser. Those details, and whether Clayton would hold both posts at once, would only be settled by an official announcement, which the White House has not made.