President Donald Trump has named Jay Clayton, the current US director of national intelligence, to lead the country’s new Super Intelligence Force. The appointment was announced via a post on Truth Social on Sunday, following earlier media reports on Friday regarding the selection. This development aligns with prior reporting from September 20 that indicated plans to create an “AI Force” modeled after the Space Force, with an artificial intelligence czar at its helm.
In his announcement, Trump stated that the Super Intelligence Force is tasked with coordinating federal government efforts to ensure America continues to lead the world in super intelligence. Clayton will be joined by Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission; Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management; and Emil Michael, under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering and chief technology officer for the Department of War. Clayton previously led the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term and served as interim US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Sources told CNN that he is expected to remain in his current role as director of national intelligence. The Senate confirmed Clayton in July to lead the intelligence community.
The consolidation of leadership roles across the intelligence community, regulatory bodies, and defense sectors into a single "Super Intelligence Force" signals a significant restructuring of how the US government approaches advanced AI coordination. By appointing Jay Clayton, who holds dual responsibilities as Director of National Intelligence and head of this new force, the administration is prioritizing centralized command over distributed agency oversight. This structure mirrors the creation of the Space Force but extends it into the cognitive domain, suggesting that AI capability is now viewed through a lens of national security and strategic competition rather than purely technological innovation or commercial regulation.
From an institutional perspective, the inclusion of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson and OPM Director Scott Kupor alongside defense tech official Emil Michael indicates a broad mandate that likely spans workforce management, consumer protection, and military application. However, maintaining Clayton's existing DNI duties while leading a new force raises operational risk questions regarding bandwidth and potential conflicts between intelligence gathering and proactive AI development initiatives. The move effectively bypasses traditional siloed governance, potentially accelerating policy implementation but also concentrating decision-making power in a manner that may challenge existing checks and balances within the federal bureaucracy.
