Trump forms 'Super Intelligence Force' under DNI Jay Clayton; AI firms sign voluntary pact

US President Donald Trump has taken a major step to keep America ahead in artificial intelligence and advanced technology worldwide. To ensure full American control and dominance over next-generation AI technology, he has formally announced a new special task force called the "Super Intelligence Force".

Under the initiative, the term "super intelligence" is now mandatory in place of "artificial intelligence" in all US government documents.

Trump has handed charge of the effort to Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The task force under Clayton will coordinate among various government agencies, AI research institutions, security forces and private tech companies. Trump created the Space Force in his first term, and this AI task force has been modelled along the same lines. Its main aim is to strengthen America's hold over the digital world and global security in the years ahead.

Before this decision, President Trump held a special meeting at the White House with senior executives and CEOs of leading American AI companies. At the meeting, all the major AI companies signed what was described as a historic voluntary agreement. The agreement commits them to following safety standards alongside AI development, preventing misuse of information and keeping technical progress under control. The Trump administration is stressing how the industry can move ahead faster by making its own rules (self-regulation).

The new task force will bring together the efforts of different administrative departments. It will closely watch the growing risks of possible technical faults in AI systems, cyberattacks and the hacking of outside systems. Clayton's team has been directed to review the possible dangers of AI over the next 120 days and submit a report on immediate action using existing federal laws.

Clayton is regarded as a very senior and experienced Wall Street lawyer. During the 2008 global financial crisis, he successfully represented Barclays Bank in the matter of acquiring assets from Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. In Trump's first term, Clayton was chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During that time, keeping business interests in mind, he took several important and tough actions to rein in the emerging cryptocurrency industry legally.

At the start of his second term, Trump chose Clayton as the federal prosecutor in Manhattan, and in July the US Senate confirmed him as Director of National Intelligence. Clayton has no direct technical experience in AI or computer technology, but Trump has placed his trust in him given his knowledge of international law, security, finance and cybersecurity.

The appointment comes at a time when many AI researchers and scientists around the world have expressed concern over the unchecked growth of the technology. Experts have warned that faults in AI systems, or their misuse in the military and economic spheres, could become a major threat to world peace.

President Trump, however, is firmly opposed to imposing strict government rules on the AI industry. According to Trump, if the US imposes very tough rules or restrictions on AI, the growth of American companies will slow and rival Chinese companies will benefit directly. The US has therefore chosen a dual path: speeding up technology development while strictly enforcing safety rules. Under Jay Clayton, the Super Intelligence Force will work to keep America at the front of the global technology race.