Artificial intelligence must have a new name, says politician who likes renaming bodies of water

The term 'artificial intelligence' is now officially 'superintelligence,' impacting all US documents and potentially global discourse.

US President Donald Trump announced at the United Nations that the term "artificial intelligence" should be replaced with "superintelligence." He stated that "artificial" makes intelligence sound fake and that the United States will exclusively use "superintelligence" in all its documents. Trump suggested the acronym "SI" as a substitute, despite its existing use by system integrators. He also dismissed the danger of AI as a "hoax" and rejected proposals for a "globalist scheme" to control its development. This comes as many nations, including the EU, Australia, and Canada, have called for coordinated international standards, transparent safety protocols, and independent evaluation of frontier AI models. Trump previously renamed geographical features, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario, and reversed the use of the indigenous name for Denali.

This renaming initiative, driven by presidential decree, signals a potential shift in how AI capabilities and risks are framed globally. While the US aims to rebrand AI as "superintelligence," international bodies are pushing for concrete regulatory frameworks, highlighting a divergence in approaches to AI governance. The proposed acronym "SI" could lead to confusion given its widespread adoption by system integrators, potentially complicating official communications and industry adoption.

The president's dismissal of AI danger as a "hoax" contrasts sharply with the international community's calls for cautious development and safety protocols. This ideological difference could impede unified global efforts to regulate advanced AI, creating a fragmented landscape for its deployment and oversight. The US's stance may also influence other nations, potentially slowing down or altering the trajectory of international AI policy discussions.