He will lead the “Super Intelligence Force”, which has 120 days to set out the risks and opportunities of AI, with the aim of putting the US ahead of China without excessive regulation

US President Donald Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Jay Clayton as the administration’s AI “tsar”, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing an interview with Clayton himself.

Clayton, who took up the post of Director of National Intelligence in August, will lead a White House task force charged with presenting the risks and opportunities posed by AI within 120 days, according to the newspaper.

“The president asked for a team to be formed”, which Clayton has named the “Super Intelligence Force”, in order to ensure that the US remains the leading power in advanced AI while protecting American interests, he told the WSJ. He added that “the risk of not being first is great”.

The task force will also be expected to put forward proposals “to respond to the threats to our society linked to AI”.

That goal must be achieved “while avoiding excessive regulation and regulatory capture by vested interests, both of which would harm innovation and competition”, the newspaper adds.

“Regulatory capture” refers to a situation in which certain market players are allowed to set the regulatory rules themselves and collude to preserve their competitive advantage.

Officials told the WSJ that the task force will leave most of the management of AI-related risks to the industry itself, while working alongside companies in the sector.

AI safety has become a major issue in recent weeks, with some researchers warning that those developing the technology believe it could kill humans within a decade. Many Democratic and Republican lawmakers have voiced concern and called for action.

Trump, for his part, does not appear to favour imposing regulation on AI, arguing that excessive oversight could weaken US competitiveness against China.

The task force will include Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, among others.