Trump's possible next AI czar, Jay Clayton, helped pioneer the SEC’s crypto crackdown
Summary
Jay Clayton is reportedly nearing appointment as the Trump administration’s AI czar, a role expected to focus on overseeing the domestic AI industry rather than crypto. His possible appointment draws attention because, as SEC chairman from 2017 to 2020, he established a Cyber Unit and oversaw 57 enforcement cases involving digital assets, blockchain businesses and ICOs, including the SEC’s 2020 case against Ripple. Crypto policy at the White House is currently handled by adviser Patrick Witt after David Sacks left the combined crypto and AI czar role. Clayton has described AI as a national-security issue and opposed pausing its development.
