Trump Establishes New Super Intelligence Force

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, via a post on his Truth Social platform, the formation of a new federal task force called the Super Intelligence Force. According to Trump, the group's mission is to coordinate the federal government's efforts to keep the United States at the forefront of super intelligence development, a shift he described as more significant than the Industrial Revolution or the advent of the internet.

The announcement follows a promise Trump made in September to create an AI task force and name an AI czar, a move he tied at the time to the ongoing debate over AI safety — a debate he has largely dismissed as a fabrication pushed by his political opponents. Since then, Trump signed an executive order aimed at rebranding artificial intelligence as "super intelligence," terminology that tech executives who gathered at the White House this week to sign a non-binding safety pledge have since adopted, with varying degrees of consistency.

Leadership and mandate

National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton has been named chair of the Super Intelligence Force, effectively placing him in charge of the administration's AI policy. Serving as vice chairs will be Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor.

The task force has reportedly been given 120 days to produce a report assessing the risks and opportunities presented by AI. Clayton has previously argued that it would be irresponsible for the US to pull back from AI development while competitors such as China continue advancing, stating that the greatest risk the country faces is failing to be first.

According to its charter, the task force will develop plans to respond to threats enabled by super intelligence while aiming to avoid overregulation or regulatory capture that could stifle innovation and competition.