President Donald Trump has signed an executive order instructing all federal departments and agencies to use the term “superintelligence” in place of “artificial intelligence” in official correspondence, public communications, policy materials and other government documents. According to CNBC, the order was justified as a way to “recognize the ever-expanding bounds of technological progress and the unlimited opportunities they offer the American people.”
Background
Trump had indicated a readiness to rename the field a few days earlier during remarks at the United Nations General Assembly. The White House announced the executive order after the president hosted a luncheon attended by several leaders from the AI industry.
What the order requires
The directive mandates that every ministry and government institution adopt the new term in the specified official uses, and it states that the expressions “artificial intelligence” and “AI” may no longer be used in official materials.
Industry statement and signatures
At a press event on the West Wing lawn, Trump told reporters that the document formalizing the new name had been signed by the technology company executives who joined him for the White House lunch. “We officially changed the name today,” he said.
Those technology leaders also signed a separate two-page document that Trump shared on Truth Social. That document is titled “Agreement on Superintelligence,” but its text does not explicitly mention changing terminology. Under the subtitle “Joint Commitment to Responsible Frontier Technology,” the signatories state that “every company is responsible for developing its technology safely and with a view to building trust.”
Is the agreement binding?
When asked at the White House whether the document imposes any enforceable obligations, the president described it as “morally binding.” The announcement comes amid polling showing that a majority of Americans are worried about artificial intelligence and critical of how Trump is handling the issue.
The president’s stance
Trump reiterated that beating China in AI is a top priority, while dismissing some of the severe warnings about the technology — including remarks from some of the executives who attended the luncheon — as a “scam.”
Photo: AFP / Ken Cedeno
Donald Trump
United States
AI
(Sources: CNBC; White House statements)
