The Super Intelligence Force (SIF) is a new White House task force that will coordinate how the US federal government handles artificial intelligence. President Donald Trump announced it on October 4, 2026, and named Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead it as the new White House AI czar.
If the name sounds like science fiction, there is a reason. Two weeks earlier, the Trump administration officially stopped saying “artificial intelligence” and started saying “super intelligence” (SI). So the Super Intelligence Force is, in plain terms, the government’s new AI task force.
This guide explains what the SIF is, who runs it, who sits on it, what it is supposed to do, and what happens next.
Who Leads the Super Intelligence Force?
Jay Clayton leads the SIF while keeping his main job as Director of National Intelligence, where he oversees the country’s 18 intelligence agencies. He took that post in August 2026.
Clayton is better known for two earlier roles. He chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, and he later served as the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan.
He has described AI as both a big opportunity and a real risk. At his Senate confirmation hearing, he called it a “gamechanger” while warning that it also poses a threat. After the White House AI meeting on September 29, he went further and told CNBC that super intelligence is a national security issue.
What Will the Super Intelligence Force Do?
The SIF’s job is coordination. According to Trump’s announcement, it will manage the federal government’s contact with five groups:
- Consumers
- Public interest groups
- Religious organizations
- Critical infrastructure providers (such as energy and telecom companies)
- Superintelligence companies, meaning the AI developers themselves
Its first concrete task is a report. The task force has 120 days to study the risks and opportunities of AI and recommend what the federal government’s responsibilities should be. Counting from the October 2026 launch, that report is due around early February 2027.
Who Is on the Super Intelligence Force?
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the SIF brings together some of the most senior people in the administration:
| Role on the SIF | Who |
|---|---|
| Chair | Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence and White House AI czar |
| Vice chair | Emil Michael |
| Vice chair | Scott Kupor |
| Vice chair | Andrew Ferguson, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission |
| Member | JD Vance, Vice President |
| Member | Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary |
| Member | Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary |
| Member | Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff |
Having the Vice President, the Defense Secretary, and the Chief of Staff on one panel signals that the White House treats AI as a top-level issue, not just a tech policy question.
Timeline: How the Super Intelligence Force Came About
- January 2025: Trump creates a combined AI and crypto czar role and gives it to venture capitalist David Sacks.
- March 2026: Sacks leaves the czar job after reaching the time limit for special government employees. He still co-chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
- September 2026: Trump says he will create an “AI Force” and appoint a new AI czar.
- September 22, 2026: At the UN General Assembly, Trump says the US will call AI “super intelligence” because “artificial” makes it sound fake.
- September 29, 2026: Trump hosts AI leaders at the White House. Six executives sign a voluntary safety accord, and Trump signs Executive Order 14434 making “super intelligence” the official federal term.
- October 4, 2026: Trump names Clayton AI czar and head of the new Super Intelligence Force.
- About early February 2027: The SIF’s 120-day report is due.
Why Is It Called “Super Intelligence”?
The name comes from the administration’s rebrand of AI. Trump has said the word “artificial” makes the technology sound fake, so federal agencies now use “super intelligence” and “SI” instead.
This can be confusing. Among researchers, “superintelligence” has long meant a future AI that is smarter than the smartest human, which does not exist yet. In US government usage, though, SI simply means the same technology everyone has been calling AI. The executive order ties the new term to the existing legal definition of artificial intelligence.
So the Super Intelligence Force is not a sign that machines have outsmarted people. It is a new name on a task force for today’s AI.
How People Reacted
- Elon Musk welcomed the new term, saying on X that SI is better than AI. He also said he would rename SpaceX’s AI unit from SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI.
- Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, gave Clayton’s appointment a cautious welcome. He also criticized the administration for resisting meaningful AI safeguards and said he wants rigorous testing so powerful systems stay under human control.
- Critics of the rebrand argue that renaming AI does not address the concerns raised by AI researchers and industry leaders, some of whom have urged a slowdown in AI development.
What the Super Intelligence Force Means for You
For now, very little changes in daily life. Congress has not passed a federal law broadly regulating AI, and the SIF is a coordinating and advisory body, not a regulator with its own rulebook.
The real impact will come from its 120-day report. That report could shape how the government approaches AI safety, data centers, national security and the AI companies themselves. If you use AI tools at work, build AI products, or follow tech policy, early February 2027 is the date to watch.
The SIF also works alongside the voluntary White House Accord on Super Intelligence, signed on September 29 by Google’s Sundar Pichai, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Greg Brockman and Elon Musk. Those companies promised internal and external reviews of their AI models.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does SIF stand for? SIF stands for Super Intelligence Force, the White House’s new AI task force.
Who is the White House AI czar? Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, was named AI czar on October 4, 2026.
Is the Super Intelligence Force a military branch like the Space Force? No. Despite the name, it is a task force of senior officials inside the White House, not a branch of the armed forces.
Is super intelligence the same as AI? In US government language, yes. Outside government, “superintelligence” usually means AI that surpasses human intelligence, which does not yet exist.
When will the Super Intelligence Force release its report? It has 120 days from its October 2026 launch, so around early February 2027.
Sources
- NPR: Trump names national intelligence chief Jay Clayton as new AI czar
- The Guardian: Trump names intelligence chief Jay Clayton as new White House AI czar
- CNBC: Trump taps Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as AI czar
- US News / Reuters: Clayton to lead AI task force, report in 120 days
- NBC News: Trump expected to name Jay Clayton as AI czar
- NewsNation: Trump renames AI super intelligence as tech leaders sign accord
- CNN: AI executives sign commitment after White House meeting
