AI 'espionage' is a reality that companies need to be 'wary of,' Jay Clayton says

U.S. companies and the Trump administration both "need to be wary" of foreign espionage attempts as the race for artificial intelligence dominance continues, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton told CNBC on Friday. AI "amplifies" existing cybersecurity risks toward U.S. digital infrastructure, which is interconnected with critical systems related to everything from public goods to the national defense and global communications, Clayton said on " Squawk Box ." It's "why we're focused on hardening those systems" and using "our commitment to continue to lead to stay ahead of those nefarious actors," said Clayton, who leads a new White House AI task force .