President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 4, named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as the White House’s new artificial intelligence czar. Clayton will lead a federal task force called the “Super Intelligence Force,” tasked with coordinating the administration’s approach to the rapidly developing technology.
Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social as debate intensifies over AI safety and American technological leadership.
The president said the group would coordinate federal engagement with consumers, public interest groups, religious organisations, critical infrastructure providers and AI companies. Its stated objectives include maintaining American leadership while protecting the public and improving lives. Trump has adopted the term “super intelligence” in his administration’s messaging about artificial intelligence.
Other officials named to the task force include Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael. The panel will report to Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Reuters reported that it has 120 days to assess AI’s risks and opportunities and recommend the federal government’s role.
The announcement follows Trump’s meeting with technology executives at the White House on Tuesday. According to the NPR report, the president said participating companies had signed a voluntary agreement providing for internal and external reviews of their work. The initiative comes as industry leaders raise concerns about increasingly powerful systems and the safeguards needed to manage them.
Clayton previously served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission before becoming intelligence chief. In a CNBC interview last month, he described super intelligence as a national security issue. He also opposed pausing American development while other countries continued advancing the technology, NPR reported.
Clayton follows David Sacks, whom Trump named AI and cryptocurrency czar in December 2024. Sacks subsequently left that position and became co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. His departure preceded the administration’s latest effort to organise federal oversight and engagement around AI.
The announcement did not set out specific new enforcement powers or detailed oversight requirements for the task force. Its formation places senior intelligence, defence, consumer protection and personnel officials within a shared coordination structure. The forthcoming review is expected to help define how the administration balances technological competition with concerns about public safety.
