Attorney General  Merrick Garland said that getting an AI Tsar was vital for the department to stay on top of all the latest science and tech stuff.

Jonathan Mayer is a Princeton professor and researcher who will be in charge of building a team of cybersecurity experts and AI experts. He will be the department's foremost science and tech adviser and help find more clever people.

The government agencies were told by President Biden's order on AI to get more AI talent and make rules on how to use the technology in their work. The order says they have to ensure AI is fair if it is used for things like sentencing, parole, and spying - which are part of the Justice Department's job.

According to his bio on Princeton's website, Mayer had done some tech work for the government before his new job. He was an adviser on tech law and policy to Vice President Kamala Harris when she was still a senator. He was the top tech guy in the office that enforces the rules of the Federal Communications Commission.