Jonathan Mayer Appointed as DOJ Chief S&T Adviser, Artificial Intelligence Officer

The Department of Justice has appointed Jonathan Mayer, an assistant professor at Princeton University’s Department of Computer Science and School of Public and International Affairs, as the agency’s first chief science and technology adviser and chief artificial intelligence officer.

In his dual leadership role, Mayer will advise the attorney general and the DOJ’s leadership on S&T matters; collaborate with department units on cybersecurity, AI, emerging technologies and other issues requiring technical expertise; and lead the agency’s technology capacity-building efforts. He will also oversee matters related to AI and lead the DOJ’s Emerging Technology Board, which coordinates and governs AI and other emerging technologies across the department.

Mayer will serve in the Office of Legal Policy, which is developing a team to oversee technology-related matters, the DOJ said Thursday.

His appointment comes amid the department’s ongoing push to adopt AI.

Earlier in February, Lisa Monaco, the DOJ’s deputy attorney general, announced Justice AI, a six-month initiative where the department would solicit insights from experts in the private sector, academia, civil society and science sectors. In November, the DOJ sought information on AI-enabled internal communications software platforms that can improve the DOJNet website and create Justice Hub, a mobile-ready software-as-a-service platform allowing users to access information more easily.