President Trump has a new plan for the future of technology. He tapped Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his new artificial-intelligence czar. That was the plan. But the timeline is tight. Just 120 days were allotted by Trump to Clayton for reporting on the technology's advantages and disadvantages. This is where it changes. The White House is not waiting for Congress to act. They want results fast.
Clayton will oversee a new group called the Super Intelligence Force. This is not a small task. The goal is to ensure the United States stays the leader in this field. Clayton told the Wall Street Journal that the president asked for a group to ensure the interests of the American people are put first. The risk of falling behind is real. Clayton stated, "The risk of not being first is high." He warned that lagging increases dangers from our adversaries.
There is a twist in the naming. Trump wants to rebrand AI as superintelligence, or SI. He signed an executive order to make this shift. But the tech giants are hesitant. Companies like Google, Meta, and Nvidia have not said they will use the new name yet. The Washington Examiner reported that these firms did not disclose if they plan to adopt the term. Only Meta started using it last year. CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it the Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Trump believes this shift is vital. Stating, "I will never stifle the growth of technology that will be bigger than the industrial revolution," he emphasized his stance. He also signed a "morally binding" document with tech leaders. This accord says companies must build tech safely. The White House Accord on Super Intelligence states that to build a positive future for the American people and the world, every company is responsible for developing its own technology safely.
Trump rejected calls for strict government rules. Democrats on Capitol Hill want more regulation. They fear the tech could go wrong. A researcher at Anthropic even quit to warn about human extinction. But Trump sees a different path. He told reporters he has seen "tremendous self-policing" among the industry leaders. He thinks the companies can police themselves better than the government can.
The administration is thinking about a small team to watch the sector. He also wants a 10-person committee to oversee the industry. The Federal Trade Commission will still check for dangers. They plan to compel companies to share documents. But the main strategy is light-touch rules. Clayton noted that being first would better enable addressing risks on behalf of the American people, saying, "Being first will better enable us to address those risks on behalf of the American people."
Some leaders are worried about moving too fast. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei desire a slowdown. Altman pointed to a scary incident where an AI system allegedly hacked a company on its own. But Trump is betting on speed. He believes the US must be first to stay safe. The urgency of leading the field remains paramount.
Mark Zuckerberg agrees with the Trump approach. "We believe superintelligence will create significant new opportunities for all people and businesses," he posted on X. Elon Musk has also adopted the term in person. The debate is over. The clock is ticking. Clayton has 120 days to prove this new path works for America. The future of our economy depends on who gets there first.