Washington's AI policy now has a designated point person. President Donald Trump has named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as the administration's AI czar and chairman of a newly created "Super Intelligence Force," tasking the group with coordinating the federal government's work on advanced artificial intelligence.
The announcement, made Sunday on Trump's Truth Social platform, says the force "is tasked with coordinating the effort of the Federal Government to ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence," a term the administration now prefers over artificial intelligence. Clayton will chair the group alongside three vice chairs: Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael, and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. The four will report directly to Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
The task force has 120 days to produce a report assessing the risks and opportunities posed by AI, examining existing laws, and recommending what role the federal government should play — including how to respond to threats such as AI-enabled cyberattacks, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the plan.
Clayton has already staked out positions that closely mirror the president's. In a September 30 interview with CNBC's Squawk Box, he rejected the idea of pausing the development of more advanced AI models, arguing that "super intelligence is a national security issue" and that allowing other countries to advance while the United States backs away would not be sound strategy. He has said the risk of "not being first" is the biggest risk of all. The former SEC chairman also argues that existing consumer-protection and product-liability laws, along with the Department of Justice, can already address AI-related harms.
The move caps a busy stretch for federal AI policy. In September, Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to adopt "super intelligence" as their preferred term, and hosted top AI executives at the White House for the signing of a voluntary "Accord on Super Intelligence" committing the companies to internal controls and external safety audits. The new task force puts a formal structure — and a 120-day clock — behind the administration's strategy of accelerating development while relying on voluntary safeguards rather than new regulation.