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President Trump names intelligence director Jay Clayton to lead a new White House 'Super Intelligence Force' on AI
President Trump on Sunday picked Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to head a new federal task force on AI, days after he said AI executives he hosted at the White House had signed a voluntary accord.
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What happened
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Jay Clayton, his director of national intelligence, will lead a new federal task force on artificial intelligence, according to the Associated Press, as published by PBS NewsHour. NPR reported that Trump described Clayton as the new White House AI czar in a post on Truth Social.
Trump is calling the group the "Super Intelligence Force." The AP reported that Trump has tried to rebrand AI as "super intelligence," and NPR said he prefers that term. In his post, Trump said the group will "ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence."
Who is on the Super Intelligence Force
Jay Clayton
NPR reported that Clayton was confirmed earlier this year to lead national intelligence. Before that, he served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In a CNBC interview last month, Clayton called super intelligence a "national security issue," NPR reported.
Clayton also pushed back on calls to pause development of the technology, pointing to other countries that are continuing their own AI work, according to NPR. "I don't think any American should think that that's a good strategy," he told CNBC.
Other members
Both outlets reported three other members of the task force: Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, and Emil Michael. The AP described Michael as the Pentagon's chief technology officer, while NPR identified him as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Who the group answers to
The AP reported that the task force will report to Trump and to his chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
What the task force is supposed to do
According to Trump's post, the group will coordinate the federal government's engagement with consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers and AI companies. The AP quoted Trump saying the technology is something "many say is bigger than the Industrial Revolution, and the Internet."
Neither outlet reported a timeline, budget or specific policy goals for the task force beyond the coordination role Trump described.
The broader context
A voluntary industry accord
NPR reported that on Tuesday, Trump met with AI executives at the White House and said afterward that leaders of several AI companies had signed a voluntary accord that will include internal and external reviews of their work. The AP described the accord, as Trump characterized it, as one that would effectively have the industry police itself.
NPR also reported that the announcement follows warnings from tech leaders about risks from the fast development of AI, including that it could go rogue, and that Trump has largely brushed those warnings aside. The White House also launched a revamped website this week, America.gov, which says it uses AI to draw from "official government sources," according to NPR.
Limited federal rules
NPR reported that it is unclear what Clayton's appointment means for the AI industry, because federal regulation of the technology is limited. Congress has not passed a law broadly regulating the use or development of AI. Some states, including California, have passed their own measures, such as requiring entities to be transparent when AI is used.
A previous AI czar
In December 2024, Trump, then president-elect, said he would appoint Silicon Valley investor David Sacks as an AI and crypto czar to advise on policy, NPR reported. Sacks stepped down from that role earlier this year and became co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. For more coverage of federal decisions, see our national news section.
What to watch next
- How the Super Intelligence Force carries out its planned outreach to consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers and AI companies.
- What Clayton's appointment means for the AI industry, which NPR reported remains unclear.
- Whether Congress acts on AI, since NPR reported it has not passed a federal law broadly regulating the technology.
- How the internal and external reviews that Trump said the voluntary accord will include are put into practice.
