President Trump announced a federal "Super Intelligence Force" in a Truth Social post Sunday morning and named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead it, TechCrunch reported. The task force is meant to coordinate the government's push to keep the U.S. ahead in what the administration now calls super intelligence, its term for artificial intelligence.

What Happened

Trump wrote that the group would help ensure America continues to lead the world in super intelligence. Clayton will chair it, which effectively makes him the administration's new AI czar, according to The Wall Street Journal as cited by TechCrunch and SiliconANGLE.

The three vice chairs are Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor and Emil Michael, the Pentagon's under secretary for research and engineering and its chief technology officer. SiliconANGLE, citing the Journal, reported that Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will also serve, and that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former AI czar David Sacks will advise from outside government. The group reports to Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

RelatedAnthropic Asks Appeals Court to Rehear Ruling Upholding Pentagon's Supply-Chain Risk Label

Clayton told the Journal that the task force has 120 days to produce a report on the technology's risks and opportunities. SiliconANGLE said the report will also address how the government handles disclosure of security breaches and recommend better agency responses using existing authorities.

The charter, as reported, directs the group to develop plans for responding to "SI-enabled threats" while preventing overregulation and regulatory capture that could hurt innovation and competition. According to the Associated Press, as published by SecurityWeek, Trump said the task force will reach out to consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers and AI companies.

Why It Matters

The appointment puts AI policy under an official whose portfolio is national security. Clayton told the Journal that one of the biggest risks is the U.S. not being first, and he has rejected industry proposals for a coordinated slowdown in AI development, SiliconANGLE reported. That stance sets the tone for a body whose charter treats regulatory overreach as a hazard on par with misuse of the technology.

The membership also spans enforcement and procurement. The FTC chair's role is notable because the agency has opened an investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic and the evaluation group METR over rogue AI agents and consumer harm. The Pentagon's technology chief and the federal personnel director bring the government's own adoption of AI into the same room.

Context

The task force caps a run of moves to rebrand and reorganize federal AI policy. Trump floated an "AI Force" in a September post that also dismissed fears about AI as overblown. The Primary Wire reported on the executive order he signed Sept. 29 directing agencies to use "Super Intelligence" in place of "artificial intelligence" in official communications. Leading AI executives also signed a voluntary safety pledge at the White House.

Clayton chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term and later served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Sacks, his predecessor as AI czar, left that role in March.

What to Watch

The 120-day report is the first concrete deliverable. It is not yet clear what powers the task force holds beyond coordination and recommendations, or whether it will propose legislation, new disclosure rules for breaches or changes to how agencies buy and test AI systems. How it engages the outside groups Trump listed will indicate whether the effort leans toward industry promotion or public oversight.