The Justice Department has appointed Jonathan Mayer, a Princeton University professor and technology law researcher, as its first chief AI officer to help understand how AI will impact law enforcement.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the appointment of an AI officer is important for the department to “keep pace with rapidly evolving scientific and technological developments.”
One of Mayer’s responsibilities will be to build a team of technology and policy experts in cybersecurity and AI. Meyer will also serve as the department’s chief science and technology advisor, assisting with the recruitment of technical talent.
The Biden administration’s executive order on AI tasked government agencies with developing AI talent and creating guidelines for the use of the technology in services. The executive order also establishes standards to ensure fairness when AI is used in sentencing, parole, and supervision, activities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.
Before joining the Justice Department, Mayer held technology-related roles in government, according to a biography from Princeton’s Information Technology Policy Center. He served as an advisor on technology law and policy to Vice President Kamala Harris when she was still a senator. Mr. Mayer was also a chief engineer in the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Directorate.
