Donald Trump used part of his United Nations General Assembly speech to propose replacing the term “artificial intelligence,” or AI, with “super intelligence,” or “SI.” Trump argued that the word “artificial” makes intelligence sound fake and said he wanted the new terminology used in U.S. government documents, while also rejecting international efforts to regulate the technology.
Trump acknowledged that emerging technologies bring challenges but compared concerns about AI risks to earlier warnings about climate change. He said the United States should continue developing the technology while monitoring it through the Department of Justice, arguing that America should not retreat from technological advances.
The proposal quickly drew criticism and mockery, including from some commentators who questioned the timing and practicality of the idea. The term “superintelligence” already has a specific meaning in AI research, generally referring to a hypothetical system whose capabilities surpass those of humans. The article also notes that no formal directive had yet been confirmed to make the proposed terminology change official.
The proposal follows several other renaming efforts associated with Trump’s second term, including the use of “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in federal terminology. The article argues that changing references to AI throughout government documents, websites, contracts, regulations and software could require significant time and resources if the proposed rebranding were formally implemented.