Key Takeaways
- The force will engage consumers, religious groups, and AI companies.
- Clayton says the group has 120 days to assess risks and opportunities.
- An executive order establishes “Super Intelligence” as the federal government’s preferred AI terminology.
Jay Clayton and Three Officials Lead Federal AI Coordination
Consumers, public interest groups, and technology companies will engage with a new federal task force announced Oct. 4. President Donald Trump named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton among its four leaders when announcing the formation of the Super Intelligence Force on his social media platform Truth Social. The group follows a White House executive order establishing new federal terminology for artificial intelligence.
The president described a mission combining American technological leadership with protection of the public’s interests through coordinated government engagement. He said the effort would “ensure that America continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence” and “will protect the interests, and improve the lives, of all Americans.”
The other leaders are Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson; Emil Michael, undersecretary of war for research and engineering and chief technology officer; and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor. Engagement also extends to religious organizations and critical infrastructure providers, including operators of essential services. The group reports to the president and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Clayton told The Wall Street Journal that the group has 120 days to assess the technology’s risks and opportunities and determine Washington’s responsibilities. That deadline concerns its findings, separate from the terminology order’s 60-day requirement.
Clayton’s SEC Tenure Includes the Ripple Lawsuit
Clayton’s background includes leadership of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the regulator overseeing securities markets and investor protection. In April 2025, he was selected to serve as interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, before taking his current intelligence role.
The agency sued Ripple Labs and two executives on Dec. 22, 2020, one day before his departure as chairman. Its complaint alleged they raised more than $1.3 billion through unregistered investment contracts involving XRP. Both sides dismissed their appeals on Aug. 7, 2025, leaving a $125,035,150 civil penalty and a court order against future securities registration violations in effect.
The president has linked international competitiveness with American adoption of cryptocurrency and other digital assets, alongside his support for advanced computing. His broader technology agenda has framed both sectors as areas where U.S. leadership depends on encouraging innovation while keeping development and investment centered in the United States.
On July 6, he warned China would take the crypto lead if the U.S. stepped back, comparing the competitive stakes in digital assets with those surrounding other emerging technologies. The remarks reinforced his argument that technological leadership has become part of a wider contest over economic influence and the direction of future industries.
The Trump administration’s federal AI policy framework, released March 20, addressed child safeguards, data centers’ electricity costs, creators’ intellectual property, and worker retraining. The proposals sought national legislation and a uniform approach across the United States.
White House Order Establishes Super Intelligence Framework
A Sept. 29 White House executive order replaced federal AI terminology with “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in official communications and other nonstatutory documents, where permitted by law. It uses the existing legal definition of artificial intelligence and directs the White House science adviser to propose legislative language for a federal definition within 60 days.
The order frames the initiative around maintaining U.S. technological leadership as increasingly capable AI systems develop. It also directs federal agencies to incorporate the new terminology into relevant communications and policy materials where legally permitted.
The administration’s terminology change places the Super Intelligence Force within a broader federal effort to coordinate policy around advanced AI while emphasizing U.S. leadership in the technology.
