The Justice Department (DoJ) has tapped Jonathan Mayer as the agency’s first-ever chief science and technology advisor and chief 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 Merrick Garland in announcing Mayer’s appointment on Feb. 22.
In his new roles, Mayer will collaborate with the attorney general and other department leadership on executing the best decisions in the fields of cybersecurity, AI, and other emerging technologies that pose a national security risk to the United States.
Mayer also will lead the newly established Emerging Technology Board, which coordinates and governs AI and other emerging technologies across the Justice Department.
“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,” DoJ said.
Prior to taking up his new positions, Mayer worked as an assistant professor of computer science and public affairs at Princeton University, where his research focused on “the intersection of technology, policy, and law with an emphasis in criminal procedure, national security, and consumer protection,” DoJ said.
Before his work at Princeton, Mayer was a technology and law advisor for then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., from 2017 to 2018. He was chief technologist in the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau from 2015 to 2017, and from 2011 to 2012 was a technology advisor at the California Department of Justice.
“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,” said Garland.
