Trump proposes banning term "artificial intelligence"

Donald Trump has announced his intention to ban the term "artificial intelligence" (AI) from official government documents, replacing it with "superintelligence" (SI). He made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social on October 27, stating that AI is "inaccurate" and that the term will be officially banned "in the very near future."

New decree instructs federal agencies

The proposal is part of a broader initiative by Trump to redefine terminology related to technology and other areas. A decree signed at the end of September instructed federal agencies to use "superintelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" in their communications, though it does not impose sanctions for continuing to use AI or apply to the private sector.

"Superintelligence" has specific meaning in tech

The term "superintelligence" in the technology sector typically refers to AI systems capable of surpassing human reasoning in all areas. While companies like Meta and OpenAI have expressed aspirations to reach this level of AI, current models are far from achieving it. OpenAI had previously described superintelligence as a technology "more powerful than all other technologies to which humanity has had to respond in the past."

Trump has previously promoted the term

Trump has previously advocated for the use of "superintelligence" in public discourse. During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September, he criticized the term "artificial intelligence" for suggesting the technology is "false," insisting that AI is not false and that "superintelligence" is a more accurate and positive term.

Trump's pattern of renaming entities

The move to replace AI with superintelligence is part of a pattern in which Trump has sought to rename institutions, locations, and other entities. For example, he has proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as the "Trump-Kennedy Center."

Uncertainty about impact on public perception

The impact of this terminology shift on official communications and public perception remains to be seen, as the term "superintelligence" already carries a specific meaning in the technology sector that differs from the broader use Trump is promoting.