On the 29th of september, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming artificial intelligence as “superintelligence,” Politico reports.
Recently, Trump has repeatedly dismissed concerns raised by researchers and developers regarding the risks of artificial intelligence as “hoax,” claiming that exaggerations are being spread.
The order states that the term “superintelligence” better captures the capabilities of this rapidly evolving technology, noting that it does far more than merely replicate or automate aspects of human intelligence. As its capabilities grow and improve, it increasingly represents not just artificial intelligence, but part of a new era of superintelligence. Government terminology, the order argues, must reflect the technology’s capacity for transformation and the boundless opportunities it offers the American people.
Trump told reporters that everyone could agree—it is not artificial.
In the field of artificial intelligence, the term “superintelligence” is already in use,
referring to a specific type of artificial intelligence that surpasses human cognitive abilities across all aspects of thought. However, such a thing has not yet been created.
Trump’s order requires all federal agencies to use the new term (SI, replacing the previously used AI) when discussing artificial intelligence in the public sphere, on websites, and in reports and policy documents.
The order was issued a week after Trump first used the term at the UN General Assembly, while pushing back against calls for stricter regulation of artificial intelligence. He sought to convince world leaders that technology company executives would establish appropriate safety systems. At the same time, global concerns are growing that artificial intelligence will displace jobs, and in recent weeks, there have been repeated reports of artificial intelligence models autonomously hacking websites or launching cyberattacks.
On the 29th of September, representatives of technology companies signed a “morally binding” constitution requiring companies to cooperate with independent auditors to assess whether their models are functioning as intended. They must also implement internal controls—overseen by a team reporting to an independent board—to ensure that the models do not hack into systems. Trump reiterated that he would not slow down the growth of artificial intelligence, stating that maintaining U.S. dominance in technology is a matter of national security.
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