Trump Vows to Ban Term ‘Artificial Intelligence,’ Pushes ‘Super Intelligence’ Instead

US President Donald Trump has vowed to ban the term “artificial intelligence” (AI), insisting that the technology should instead be called “super intelligence” (SI), a term he is actively promoting.

In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon, Trump asked, “When will The Wall Street Journal start calling Artificial Intelligence (AI) SUPER INTELLIGENCE (SI)? AI is a very bad and inaccurate name. Everyone else is using SI or soon will be.”

He added, “Very soon, we are going to officially ban the use of the term ‘AI/Artificial Intelligence’ in all relevant documents and everything else, because it is wrong and inaccurate.”

Artificial intelligence has become a familiar term as the technology increasingly enters everyday life, from helping people decide what to cook for dinner to drafting professional emails and breakup messages. Replacing such an established expression could prove difficult.

Nevertheless, Trump appears determined to push for the change. Earlier this month, in another Truth Social post, he made the unusual claim that the White House considers those who use “artificial intelligence” instead of “super intelligence” to be “the enemy!”

Trump has already directed the federal government to use “super intelligence” in place of “artificial intelligence”.

In an executive order issued in late September, the president wrote that the terminology used by the federal government should reflect the technology’s transformative capabilities and the vast opportunities it creates for Americans.

According to the order, the term “super intelligence” better conveys the technology’s promise, potential and rapidly advancing capabilities.

The term “artificial intelligence” was coined in 1955 by Stanford University emeritus professor John McCarthy, who defined it as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.”

Trump’s latest criticism of The Wall Street Journal followed the publication of an opinion newsletter titled “Let AI Be AI” in the newspaper’s opinion section.

Written from the perspective of a popular AI system, the newsletter argued that the existing term was appealing and widely understood.

“We were pretty happy being called AI. It’s catchy and consistent. People are scared of AI, but everyone knows what it is,” the newsletter said.

It also criticised Trump’s preferred alternative, arguing that “SI” is already used in other contexts. The newsletter pointed to the potential for confusion with Sports Illustrated and the International System of Units, known by the abbreviation SI from its French name, Système international d’unités.

Debate Over AI Risks and Regulation
Trump’s campaign to rename the technology comes amid growing warnings from experts about the potential risks AI could pose to humanity.

Jacob Coxon, a former employee of AI company Anthropic, warned upon resigning last month that some people developing AI genuinely believe the technology could kill everyone before the end of the decade.

Trump has close ties to prominent figures in the AI industry, including Elon Musk and Sam Altman. He has also dismissed concerns about AI safety, even as reports have raised questions about its potential use in hacking external systems and assisting in the development of biological weapons.

During the Irish Open in September, a journalist asked Trump whether the AI industry should slow down or face greater regulation.

“We’re ahead of China in AI. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world. And frankly, I want to keep it that way, because whoever wins in AI is going to win the whole game,” Trump responded.

However, public opinion appears less supportive of his approach.

A poll published last month by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that only 23 per cent of Americans believed Trump was handling AI well, while 57 per cent said he was handling the issue poorly.