Justice Department designates Mayer to serve as first chief science and technology adviser and chief AI officer | Computer Science Department at Princeton University

February 23, 2024

By the Office of Engineering Communications

Jonathan Mayer. Photo by David Kelly Crow

Princeton’s Jonathan Mayer has taken a new role as the inaugural chief science and technology adviser and chief artificial intelligence officer at the U.S. Department of Justice. In the newly created role, Mayer will advise on complex issues of technology, law and policy, including cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Mayer has committed to serve in this position for at least 12 months. He started at the end of January, and he plans to return to Princeton after the conclusion of his government service.

Mayer is an assistant professor of computer science and an assistant professor in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). He is associated faculty in the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP), which is a joint initiative between SPIA and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

According to Arvind Narayanan, director of CITP and professor of computer science, the center has a long tradition of going beyond research to engage directly with policy makers. “We have our intellectual center of gravity in computer science and engineering,” he said, but “we focus on research that can answer societal and policy questions.”

“Jonathan Mayer’s work exemplifies what we do at CITP,” Narayanan said.

Mayer studies the intersection of technology and law, with emphasis on national security, criminal procedure and consumer privacy. His recent publications include research on using machine learning to automate detection of misinformation, user perceptions of social media verification, methods for locating network censorship devices, and a case study on the effects of Hong Kong’s National Security Law.

Mayer joined Princeton’s faculty in 2018. He previously served as the technology law and policy adviser to then-Senator Kamala Harris. Before that, he was chief technologist of the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau and a technology adviser at the California Office of the Attorney General. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and an A.B. from Princeton.