Trump Administration to Ban 'AI' in Favor of 'Super Intelligence' in Official Documents

President Donald Trump has expressed frustration over the continued widespread use of the term "artificial intelligence" (AI) instead of his preferred term, "super intelligence" (SI). In a social media post on Tuesday, Trump criticized The Wall Street Journal for not adopting the new terminology, questioning when the publication would begin using SI. He stated that his administration would soon officially prohibit the use of 'AI/artificial intelligence' in all relevant documents.

This move follows an executive order signed last month, aimed at compelling US federal agencies to adopt "super intelligence." The order was issued amidst growing public apprehension regarding AI, fueled by concerns about job displacement, data centers, and environmental impact, as indicated by recent polls showing a negative public perception of AI among US residents. While several US agencies have committed to using SI, many technology companies, experts, analysts, media outlets, and international governments continue to use AI.

During an event in Washington in early October, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang humorously corrected himself, stating, “As you know we want to advance AI – I'm sorry, I mean SI. I'm going to get good at this.” Similarly, the International Monetary Fund informed Reuters that it would not be changing its terminology from AI, despite White House requests.

The debate over terminology touches upon the historical context of AI research. The term "artificial intelligence" was coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in 1956 for the first conference in the field. However, McCarthy himself later expressed a preference for alternative terms, with an obituary noting he wished he had named the field "computational intelligence," deeming it more apt, if less appealing, than "artificial intelligence." Neil Chilson, former chief technologist for the Federal Trade Commission and current AI policy lead at the Abundance Institute, has voiced support for changing the term, sharing on X that even the scientist who coined "artificial intelligence" regretted it, though he lacked Trump's "rizz" to enact a change.