Trump names intelligence chief Jay Clayton to lead new AI task force

President Donald Trump unveiled a new initiative on Sunday, a "Super Intelligence Force" aimed at maintaining America's dominance in artificial intelligence. The task force's mandate includes coordinating the government's interactions with a broad range of stakeholders, from consumers and public interest groups to religious organizations, infrastructure providers, and AI companies.

The task force will be spearheaded by senior officials including Jay Clayton, head of the Department of Intelligence, Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, and Scott Kupor, director of the Office of Personnel Management. The group is expected to report to Trump and the White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles.

This announcement follows a recent gathering at the White House where top AI executives signed a new pledge to enhance "self-policing" of their AI models, balancing safety concerns with the president's ambition to rapidly advance the technology. Despite cautionary notes about the potential risks of rapidly evolving AI, Trump lauded the CEOs who participated in the White House luncheon, downplaying reservations about the dangers posed by this "Super Intelligence."