In brief
In a landmark move, President Trump has set up a ‘Super Intelligence Force’ led by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to secure American leadership in AI. The initiative follows an executive order that replaces the term ‘artificial intelligence’ with ‘Super Intelligence’ across federal documents. The taskforce will coordinate with industry, regulators and the public, integrating voices from the FTC, the Pentagon, and senior AI firms. Critics worry the rebranding may sow confusion, while Musk and other tech leaders embrace the change. The pivot raises questions about regulatory oversight and the future of AI governance in the United States.
Donald Trump announced he has created a new taskforce focused on artificial intelligence, which will be led by the Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton.
The taskforce – dubbed the “Super Intelligence Force” – aims to keep the U.S. at the forefront of the technology and will coordinate the federal government’s engagement with consumers, public‑interest groups, religious organisations, critical‑infrastructure providers and the burgeoning group of super‑intelligence companies.
Mr Clayton, who took office in August after initial nominee Bill Pulte was rejected by lawmakers, will report directly to President Trump and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
The announcement follows an executive order issued on 29 September that rebranded artificial intelligence as “Super Intelligence,” after the president complained that the former term sounded “fake.” The order also instructs federal departments to replace “AI” with “SI” and “Super Intelligence” in all official correspondence, websites and reports.
Some experts have questioned the rationale of the rebranding, pointing out that “super intelligence” may cause confusion because it implies more advanced systems. Nevertheless, prominent industry leaders – including OpenAI chief Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk – have embraced the new terminology, with Musk announcing that his company’s AI platform will become SpaceXSI.
The initiative arrives on the heels of a “morally binding” pact signed by top tech firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Google, which pledged to self‑regulate the risks associated with AI. Trump has largely dismissed calls for stricter government oversight, preferring to let industry govern itself.
Critics warn the taskforce could become a vehicle for consolidating power over AI at the expense of transparency and public scrutiny, while supporters argue it will help safeguard national security and economic competitiveness in the emerging field.
