WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton on Sunday to lead a new federal task force charged with coordinating the government’s approach to artificial intelligence, as the administration confronts growing debate over the technology’s economic promise and potential risks.
The group, which the administration calls the “Super Intelligence Force,” will bring together senior officials from several parts of the federal government and is expected to examine national security, economic and public-policy questions raised by rapidly advancing AI systems.
Clayton will lead the effort while continuing to serve as director of national intelligence. Other participants include Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon technology official Emil Michael and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor.
The task force is expected to consult technology companies, consumers, public-interest organizations, religious groups and operators of critical infrastructure. It has been directed to produce recommendations on risks, opportunities and the federal government’s role in overseeing the technology.
The announcement follows a broader administration effort to reframe federal AI policy. Trump signed an executive order Sept. 29 directing executive-branch agencies to use the term “Super Intelligence” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” in many official communications and policy documents.
The administration has generally favored voluntary safeguards and industry-led controls rather than broad federal regulation, arguing that excessive restrictions could weaken American companies in their competition with China. At the same time, advances in autonomous AI systems have intensified concerns about cybersecurity, employment, misinformation and the possibility that increasingly capable systems could operate in unexpected ways.
