The Trump administration has established a new 120-day artificial intelligence task force tasked with mapping the risks and opportunities of AI and defining the federal government’s role. The panel is led by Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, who thereby becomes the administration’s top AI official.
"Super Intelligence Force" and industry commitments
The group is named the "Super Intelligence Force," echoing President Donald Trump’s frequent use of the term when referring to artificial intelligence. Its creation followed a White House meeting in which leaders from major industry players — including OpenAI, Anthropic and Nvidia — made voluntary commitments. Those pledges include internal controls on model development, external expert reviews, and regular briefings of boards of directors about safety measures.
Mandate and focus areas
According to its founding documents, the task force has a dual aim: to develop plans to address societal threats posed by AI while avoiding overregulation that could hinder innovation. Specific tasks include reviewing government notification systems for security vulnerabilities, system intrusions and bypasses of defense measures, and proposing ways to strengthen response capabilities.
The panel will also review existing laws and consider potential actions by Congress as it defines appropriate federal responses.
Leadership and membership
The task force has three deputy leaders:
- Emil Michael, Under Secretary for Defense Research and Development — responsible for coordination with AI companies;
- Scott Kupor, Director of the Office of Personnel — liaison to critical infrastructure operators;
- Andrew Ferguson, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — representing consumer protection interests.
Other members include Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. External advisors involved are venture capitalist David Sacks and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the latter advising primarily on national security matters.
Internal disagreements over regulation
There is not full agreement within the government on the appropriate level of action. Scott Bessent and Susie Wiles advocate for stronger measures, citing risks such as public rejection of the technology, cyberattacks and AI-enabled development of biological weapons. President Trump favors minimal regulation and believes self-regulation is the right approach, arguing that the technology should not be restrained given its potentially greater impact than the Industrial Revolution.
Next steps and potential institutional changes
The task force’s mandate can be extended if necessary, and its responsibilities could later be shifted to a standalone government agency. The 120-day timeframe is intended to quickly identify primary risks and recommend next steps for federal policy and preparedness.
