Attorney General Garland Designates the Justice Department’s First Chief Science and Technology Advisor and Chief AI Officer

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced today the designation of Jonathan Mayer as the Justice Department’s first Chief Science and Technology Advisor and Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer.

“The Justice Department must keep pace with rapidly evolving scientific and technological developments in order to fulfill our mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights,” said Attorney General Garland. “Jonathan’s expertise will be invaluable in ensuring that the entire Justice Department — including our law enforcement components, litigating components, grantmaking entities, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices — is prepared for both the challenges and opportunities that new technologies present.”

As the Chief Science and Technology Advisor, Mayer will advise the Attorney General and Justice Department leadership and collaborate with components across the Department on complex issues requiring technical expertise, including on matters relating to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and other areas of emerging technology. Mayer will also spearhead the Department’s technological capacity-building efforts, including by advising on recruiting technical talent to ensure the Department has the expertise and is equipped to meet the challenges ahead.

Mayer will serve in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, which is developing a team of technical and policy experts in technology-related areas important to the Department’s responsibilities, including cybersecurity and AI. This team will advise leadership, as well as collaborate and coordinate with components across the Department and with federal partners on cutting-edge technological issues.

Additionally, in accordance with the President’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, Attorney General Garland designated Mayer as the Justice Department’s Chief AI Officer. In this role, he will work on intra-departmental and cross-agency efforts on AI and adjacent issues. He will also lead the Justice Department’s newly established Emerging Technology Board, which coordinates and governs AI and other emerging technologies across the Department.

Mayer is an assistant professor at Princeton University’s Department of Computer Science and School of Public and International Affairs. His research has focused on the intersection of technology, policy, and law with an emphasis in criminal procedure, national security, and consumer protection. Mayer holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.

The mission of the Office of Legal Policy is to develop and implement the Justice Department’s significant policy initiatives, handle special projects that implicate the interests of multiple Department components, coordinate with other interested Department components and other Executive Branch agencies, and serve as the primary policy advisor to the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General.

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