President Trump announced plans to appoint a new "AI Czar" and rebrand AI terminology across the executive branch as "Super Intelligence" (SI). He told Axios that former SEC chair Jay Clayton "would be a good idea" for the role but explicitly ruled out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Prediction-market data from Kalshi shows more than $20,000 wagered, with Clayton leading at 23%, Michael Kratsios at 8% and Taylor Budowich at 6%. Trump said he aims to choose a czar within "three or four days."
Trump Rules Out Scott Bessent — Prediction Markets Bet On Who Will Be His 'Super Intelligence' Czar
President Donald J Trump waits outside of the West Wing to greet the President of El Salvador (Credit: Photo Courtesy: Joey Sussman on Shutterstock.com)
On Sep. 19, President Donald Trump announced plans to name a new "AI Czar" and to create an "AI force," while directing the executive branch to adopt the term "Super Intelligence" (SI) in place of "Artificial Intelligence" or "AI" in official, non‑statutory communications and policy documents.
In remarks to Axios, Trump said former SEC chair Jay Clayton would be "a good idea" for the post, though he also explicitly ruled out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "Scott Bessent will not be going to be Super Intelligence (SI) Czar," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Prediction Markets Track the Race
The public discussion has spurred activity on prediction markets. Data from Kalshi, a federally authorized wagering platform that collaborates with Benzinga, shows more than $20,000 wagered on the contract titled "Who will Trump name as AI czar?"
According to Kalshi pricing, Jay Clayton currently leads the market with an implied probability of 23%, although that is down about 32% from an earlier peak. President Trump's Science and Technology Advisor, Michael Kratsios, ranks second at roughly 8%, while former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich holds about 6%.
Timeline: Trump told Axios he expects to pick the new czar within "three or four days," raising the prospect of an official announcement this week.
Disclaimers and Editorial Notes
Kalshi and Benzinga maintain a data collaboration agreement. This report was prepared from public reporting and market data; editors reviewed the piece prior to publication. Portions of the original content were produced with the assistance of AI tools and subsequently edited by Benzinga staff.
Photo credit: Joey Sussman / Shutterstock
Help us improve.
