Trump appoints intelligence director to lead new AI task force
President Donald Trump announced on October 4 that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will head a new White House unit to coordinate federal AI efforts, adding officials from the Federal Trade Commission and the Defense Department. The appointment follows a series of AI-related moves that began in late September, when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit to discuss artificial-intelligence risks (Vox). At a subsequent White House state dinner, top AI executives gathered while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said coordination was unnecessary (Fox News).
Trump later told lawmakers he would not curb AI development ahead of a lunch with CEOs (ABC News) and signed a voluntary safety accord with the companies (CBS News). He then rejected a joint US-China AI venture, citing national-security concerns, and announced a new AI oversight role (BBC). The administration also issued an executive order renaming AI “superintelligence” and, according to Reuters, secured a voluntary safety-standards pact and pledged to expand data centers.
