Trump creates the Super Intelligence Force, to be led by the intelligence chief

U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed the Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, to also lead his administration’s artificial intelligence policy, placing him at the head of a new White House task force.

Trump has called the new structure the “Super Intelligence Force” (SIF), while it will coordinate the U.S. government’s efforts to maintain America’s lead in the development of advanced technologies, as Telegrafi reports.

Clayton, who heads the American intelligence community, will continue to serve as Director of National Intelligence. He was sworn into that post on August 3, 2026, after being confirmed by the Senate. He previously served as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during Trump’s first term.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Clayton described artificial intelligence as a “game changer”, but also warned that it poses a threat.

“When something is both an opportunity and a threat, you have to understand it and control it,” he told lawmakers.

According to Trump, the “Super Intelligence Force” will coordinate the federal government’s engagement with consumers, public-interest groups, religious organizations, critical-infrastructure providers and advanced-technology companies. Its leadership will also include the head of the Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, the Pentagon’s technology chief, Emil Michael, and the director of the Office of Personnel Management, Scott Kupor.

The task force will report to Trump and to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. It is also expected to analyse the risks and opportunities brought by the rapid development of AI and to propose ways in which the federal government should be involved in the sector.

Clayton’s appointment comes at a time when the Trump administration is trying to find a balance between the rapid development of AI and concerns about the technology’s safety.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the U.S. must maintain its advantage over China in the global race for artificial intelligence. At the end of September, he also issued an executive order instructing the federal administration to use the term “Super Intelligence” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” in official communications.

At the same time, the American president has faced growing pressure to put more safeguards on the development of the technology. Last week, executives of major AI companies signed a voluntary agreement at the White House providing for internal and external checks and audits to monitor the safety of the systems.

The post of AI “czar” is not new in the Trump administration. The president first created the function in 2025, entrusting it to technology entrepreneur and investor David Sacks. Sacks left the post in March 2026, after the permitted period of service as a “special government employee” ended, but continues to have an advisory role in the administration’s science and technology policies.

Trump had earlier also mentioned the possibility of appointing Clayton to this role. At the end of September, he described the Director of National Intelligence as “a good man” and said his appointment as chief AI adviser would be “a good idea”.

With Clayton’s appointment, the American administration is tying the development of artificial intelligence ever more closely to issues of national security and technological competition with China, while the “Super Intelligence Force” is expected to further define the government’s role in this sector, as Telegrafi reports.