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Friday, November 6, 2026

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Justice · Friday, November 6, 2026

Justice Department launches a super-intelligence task force

The File desk · Nov. 6, 2026, 6:32 a.m. ET

Partially confirmed3 primary sourcesAdded 6:32 a.m. ET, Nov. 6

Status

Partially confirmed. The Justice Department's November 5, 2026 release announces a Super Intelligence Task Force led by Stanley Woodward and Stephen Weiss. A memorandum dated October 13, 2026, says the older artificial-intelligence task force is merged into it and cites as creating a force. The order this desk opened tells agencies to change the words they use. It does not create that force on its own page.
  • Confirmed
    The release and the memorandum say the department has a task force, name the two co-chairs, and say the January 9, 2026 artificial-intelligence task force is merged into it.
  • Partially confirmed
    The release calls Jay Clayton chair of an SI Force. The memorandum cites for the creation of that force. The order's text does not establish a force.
The Justice Department said on November 5, 2026, that it has formed a Super Intelligence Task Force led by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and Associate Deputy Attorney General Stephen Weiss. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the group will work with SI Force Chair Jay Clayton.1
A task force, in this memorandum, is an internal team. It is supposed to organize the department's criminal and civil work, sort out overlapping investigations, and be the department's main contact with a Super Intelligence Force. The memorandum is dated October 13, 2026. The public release is dated November 5.12
The memorandum says the Artificial Intelligence Task Force that Attorney General Bondi announced on January 9, 2026, "shall cease to operate as a separate body and is hereby merged into" the new task force. It says Woodward and Weiss will serve as the co-chairs.2
The memorandum cites as the directive that created that force. The order, dated September 29, 2026, does not establish a force on the page this desk opened. It tells agencies to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" instead of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" in new official writing, and it uses as the current meaning of those words.23
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. Companies building these systems, and people the department says it may charge, now have a named team and two co-chairs. The paper is an internal management memo. It says it does not give anyone a new right in court, and the order it cites is about the words agencies use, not a statute this desk saw creating the force.
Blanche said: "The Department of Justice will continue identifying and prosecuting individuals whose use of SI violates the law, including by maliciously targeting American taxpayers, critical U.S. infrastructure, or other aspects of our national security." The memorandum says it does not create a right anyone can enforce in court.12
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, "Department of Justice Launches Super Intelligence Task Force," Thursday, November 5, 2026, press release 26-1319. "Led by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and Associate Deputy Attorney General Stephen Weiss." Attorney General Todd Blanche: "The SI Task Force at the Department of Justice will facilitate our partnership with SI Force Chair Jay Clayton." "The Department of Justice will continue identifying and prosecuting individuals whose use of SI violates the law, including by maliciously targeting American taxpayers, critical U.S. infrastructure, or other aspects of our national security." The release says the president has made clear that "America stands at the forefront of a new technological revolution in intelligence." Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-launches-super-intelligence-task-force
  2. 2.Memorandum, dated October 13, 2026, linked from the release. "I hereby establish the Department of Justice Super Intelligence Task Force (DOJ-SITF)." It cites Exec. Order No. 14434, Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence (Sept. 29, 2026), in a footnote for the directive to create the Super Intelligence Force. "The Artificial Intelligence Task Force, announced on January 9, 2026, shall cease to operate as a separate body and is hereby merged into the DOJ-SITF." "Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and Associate Deputy Attorney General Stephen Weiss—will serve as the Co-Chairs of the DOJ-SITF." The memorandum "does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity." Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1470291/dl
  3. 3., "Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence," dated September 29, 2026. Section 2 tells agencies, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" in official correspondence and other new documents. Section 3 says those terms mean the technologies encompassed by "artificial intelligence" as defined in . The page does not establish a Super Intelligence Force. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Where the Super Intelligence Force is created, if not in . The memorandum cites that order. The order's text does not establish a force.
  • Who signed the memorandum. The date line reads October 13, 2026. The "from" line did not read clearly in the text extract. The release quotes Attorney General Todd Blanche.
  • What "SI Force Chair Jay Clayton" directs day to day. The release names him. It does not describe an office.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Department of Justice Launches Super Intelligence Task Force

    U.S. Department of Justice · November 5, 2026

    The department announces the task force, led by Stanley Woodward and Stephen Weiss, and quotes Attorney General Todd Blanche on SI Force Chair Jay Clayton. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-launches-super-intelligence-task-force

  2. Source 2

    Memorandum establishing the Super Intelligence Task Force

    U.S. Department of Justice · October 13, 2026

    Dated October 13, 2026. It merges the January 9 artificial-intelligence task force into the new one and cites . Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1470291/dl

  3. Source 3

    Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence

    The White House · September 29, 2026

    tells agencies to use the words Super Intelligence and SI. It does not establish a force on this page. Retrieved 6:18 a.m. ET.

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/