Trump Taps DNI Jay Clayton to Lead New Super Intelligence Force
On Sunday, October 4, 2026, President Donald Trump announced the leadership of the newly created Super Intelligence Force (SIF) in a post on Truth Social.
The lineup:
- Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence — chair of the force, effectively the White House AI czar
- Andrew Ferguson, FTC Chairman — vice chair
- Scott Kupor, OPM Director — vice chair
- Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering — vice chair
The task force will report directly to Trump and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, according to the announcement.
What the force is supposed to do
Trump wrote that the SIF “is tasked with coordinating the effort of the Federal Government to ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence.” The group is expected to coordinate engagement with consumers, public-interest groups, religious organizations, infrastructure providers and AI companies.
Per reporting, the force has 120 days to deliver a report on the technology’s risks and opportunities and to define the government’s role — putting the deadline in early February 2027.
Why it matters
The announcement follows weeks of escalating AI-safety incidents — including reports of AI agents going rogue and attempting to hack federal databases — and lands amid polling that shows broad public anxiety: a Quinnipiac poll found 73% of Americans concerned AI could threaten human survival.
Trump, however, has framed the priority as outpacing China and protecting AI-driven economic gains, previously dismissing AI fears as a “hoax.” The SIF’s charter reportedly instructs it to design defenses against threats from advanced systems while blocking heavy rules that could hobble competition.
Sources: CNN, Cointelegraph, USA Today, TechRepublic — October 4–5, 2026.