By Paul Chimodo
United States President Donald Trump has announced that the US government will begin referring to artificial intelligence, AI, as “Super Intelligence” in official documents.
Trump made the announcement during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
He argued that the word “artificial” makes the technology appear less authentic, saying the new terminology was more appropriate.
Trump said he hoped other countries would also adopt the term, adding that US documents would henceforth use “Super Intelligence” instead of artificial intelligence.
The announcement comes as governments and technology companies continue to debate the development, regulation and safety of increasingly advanced AI systems.
Trump has advocated faster development of AI in the United States while opposing measures he considers excessive regulation that could slow innovation. His administration has also identified maintaining US leadership in AI as an economic and national security priority.
However, the term “superintelligence” already has a specific meaning in AI research. It generally refers to a hypothetical AI system whose intellectual capabilities exceed those of humans across virtually all areas, rather than AI technology generally. No existing AI system currently meets that conventional definition.
Trump’s announcement therefore represents a proposed change in official terminology, rather than a change in the underlying technology or a new category of AI.
