Trump to name intelligence chief Clayton as AI tsar: Reports

The possible selection comes amid increasing calls for the government to intervene on the rapidly developing technology.

United States President Donald Trump is expected to select spy chief Jay Clayton to oversee development of the nation’s artificial intelligence industry, according to multiple news reports.

CNN, CBS and Axios reported Trump is set to name the director of national intelligence (DNI) as his pick for so-called “AI tsar”. The decision could be announced as early as Friday.

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Amid increasing calls for the government to intervene in the rapidly developing technology, Trump last month announced on social media that he would be naming a new AI tsar. “Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!” he wrote.

Trump already had one AI tsar, venture capitalist David Sacks. He resigned earlier this year and became an external adviser to the president.

Clayton, who previously served as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was confirmed by the US Senate in July to oversee the nation’s spy agencies. He succeeded Bill Pulte, a controversial Trump loyalist who was appointed by the president as acting director of the US intelligence community.

It’s unclear whether Clayton would hold the role of AI tsar in addition to his duties as DNI.

“Any personnel announcement will be announced directly by the President. Any reporting until then is baseless speculation,” a White House official told Al Jazeera.

Clayton’s possible selection comes on the heels of warnings from multiple AI researchers that the technology could kill humans within a decade.