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Trump names four officials to lead his Super Intelligence Force, reporting to him and Wiles

The four people running it hold four other jobs, and they answer to Trump and his chief of staff directly.

By Think Facility · October 4, 2026 · White House AI policy Save

President Trump announced a Super Intelligence Force on Truth Social at 8:23 am Eastern on October 4, 2026. Four officials will lead it: Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Under Secretary of War Emil Michael and Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor.

Trump promised this group on September 19, when he posted that he was starting an "AI Force, much like I did Space Force" and that a czar would follow. Five days before Sunday's post, he'd signed an order telling federal agencies to stop saying artificial intelligence.

Who leads it

Jay Clayton, Andrew Ferguson, Emil Michael and Scott Kupor

Reports to

the President of the United States and the Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles

Announced

October 4, 2026, 8:23 AM

Its job

coordinating the effort of the Federal Government

What the force is for

Trump ties the new body to the White House accord on super intelligence that we covered on September 30. In his telling, the companies there "confirmed their responsibilities to the American People", and he announces the force as what follows from it.

Here's who the force will deal with on the government's behalf, in Trump's words.

So it's a coordinating job. Trump's post gives the force no budget and no deadline, and doesn't say whether any of the four will step back from the posts they already hold (Michael's title in the post also includes Chief Technology Officer). Still, it has names now.

Writing a federal definition of super intelligence is somebody else's task. The September order gave it to the President's science and technology assistant, who isn't one of the four.

I'd read the reporting line as the most concrete part. Trump wrote that the force reports to "the President of the United States (ME!)" and to Susie Wiles, his chief of staff. Nothing sits in between.

What one of the four said

Michael posted about four hours later. His reply leans on what the Pentagon is already doing with the companies, which tells you where at least one leader expects the force's attention to go.

Why the name changed

Back on September 19 it was the AI Force. On September 29, 2026, Trump signed Executive Order 14434, which tells agencies to use Super Intelligence and SI in place of artificial intelligence and AI. For now the legal meaning doesn't move: the new terms cover exactly what the old statutory definition covered.

So the force carries the new name from day one. You can read the original announcement on Truth Social.

Under the order, the President's science and technology assistant has 60 days from September 29 to send proposed legislative language for a federal definition of Super Intelligence.