U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead a new White House initiative examining the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence, effectively making him the administration’s latest “AI czar,” according to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
Clayton will head the “Super Intelligence Force,” a new task force that has been given 120 days to assess the rapidly evolving capabilities of AI, identify potential national-security and cybersecurity risks, and recommend how the federal government should respond.
The initiative comes as concerns grow worldwide over AI safety, cyberattacks, job displacement and the risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems. The task force will also review the government’s existing mechanisms for reporting AI-related data breaches, cyber incidents and other problems, and examine how existing legal authorities could be used to improve the federal response.
Clayton, who took over as director of national intelligence in August, previously served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He said the initiative is intended to help the United States maintain its leadership in advanced AI while protecting the interests of Americans.
“The risk of not being first is high,” Clayton told the Wall Street Journal, underscoring the administration’s emphasis on maintaining U.S. technological leadership.
The task force includes Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Emil Michael, Scott Kupor and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson will serve as vice chairmen. Venture capitalist David Sacks and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are expected to participate as outside advisers.
The appointment represents the second major AI leadership initiative during Trump’s second term. Sacks, a venture capitalist and Silicon Valley investor, previously served as the administration’s AI czar.
Trump has generally favored a lighter regulatory approach to AI, arguing that excessive government restrictions could undermine U.S. competitiveness with China. His administration has instead emphasized technological innovation, voluntary safety measures and greater responsibility for AI companies themselves. Reuters reported that Trump has recently promoted voluntary safeguards rather than broad mandatory regulation.
The new task force also comes shortly after Trump signed an executive order directing the federal government to use the term “Super Intelligence,” or “SI,” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” or “AI” in official executive-branch communications. The order describes the change as reflecting what the administration considers the rapidly advancing capabilities of frontier AI systems.
Competition with China is another major consideration. Trump has stressed the importance of ensuring that the United States remains the global leader in advanced AI, while the administration has expressed concern that extensive regulation could give China a competitive advantage.
The 120-day review will therefore have to address a difficult balance: how to encourage rapid AI development while protecting national security and the public from potential harms. The task force is expected to examine both the opportunities created by increasingly capable AI systems and the risks posed by cyberattacks, misuse, data breaches and other threats.
The review will also test the administration’s preference for industry-led safeguards. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously downplayed some warnings about AI posing an existential threat to humanity, while arguing that technology companies should bear primary responsibility for AI safety.
Ultimately, the task force’s recommendations could help shape the next phase of U.S. AI policy—particularly the balance between innovation, national security, public safety and the country’s technological competition with China.
