President Donald Trump has intensified his campaign to rename artificial intelligence, declaring that anyone who continues using the established terminology will be considered an enemy of his administration, despite the continued use of “AI” by major technology companies and federal agencies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared Thursday, Oct. 8, that the White House would regard people who continue using the term “artificial intelligence” instead of his preferred designation, “super intelligence,” as enemies of the administration, escalating an effort to change how the rapidly developing technology is described in government communications and the technology industry.
The statement followed a Sept. 29 executive order directing federal executive agencies to replace “artificial intelligence” and its abbreviation, “AI,” with “super intelligence” and “SI” in official documents, websites, policy materials and public communications.
Trump made the declaration in a Thursday morning post on Truth Social, asserting that the terminology he introduced had already gained broad acceptance.
“The White House considers anyone that uses the term, ‘Artificial Intelligence,’ as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, ‘Super Intelligence,’ THE ENEMY!” Trump wrote.
The president did not explain whether the statement was intended as a political characterization or whether the administration planned additional measures against individuals or organizations that continued using the established terminology.
The executive order issued last month applies to executive-branch communications and does not impose penalties on private citizens, journalists, researchers or businesses for using the term artificial intelligence.
The order also does not prohibit private companies from continuing to use AI in product names, research publications or corporate communications.
Trump’s comments nevertheless underscore his effort to encourage broader adoption of the name change outside the federal government, including among American technology companies and international organizations.
The administration’s preferred terminology was formally established through Executive Order 14434, titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” signed Sept. 29.
The directive states that the government should adopt language reflecting what the administration considers the expanding capabilities of modern computational systems.
According to the order, advances in artificial intelligence have moved beyond early expectations about automated decision-making and computer programs designed to imitate aspects of human reasoning.
Trump argues that the term “artificial” does not adequately describe technology capable of performing complex analytical, creative and scientific tasks.
The administration maintains that “super intelligence” better communicates the significance of emerging systems and their potential economic and technological applications.
The order instructs federal departments and agencies to use the new terminology in official correspondence, public statements, government websites, reports and other non-statutory documents.
It includes exceptions for previously issued regulations, presidential directives, contracts, grants and historical records, which do not need to be rewritten.
The directive also acknowledges that existing federal law continues to use the term artificial intelligence.
For implementation purposes, it defines “super intelligence” by reference to the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence, meaning the name change does not immediately establish a new legal category of technology.
The White House has directed its science and technology leadership to develop recommendations for potential legislative changes that could formally establish the terminology in federal law.
Those recommendations are expected within 60 days of the executive order’s signing.
Any proposed statutory changes would require additional action, including congressional approval where necessary.
The administration’s campaign began before the formal order was signed.
During his Sept. 22 address to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump announced that the United States would begin describing artificial intelligence as super intelligence in government documents.
He also encouraged other countries to adopt the designation.
Trump argued that the word “artificial” could create an inaccurate impression that the technology was somehow false or less capable than it actually is.
“From this point forward, all of United States documents, and hopefully the world’s, will be changed to use the much more accurate term ‘super’ as opposed to ‘artificial.’ So it’s super intelligence,” Trump said during the address, according to The Washington Post’s coverage of the announcement.
The president also said that he did not want concerns about potential risks to prevent continued investment and development.
His remarks reflected the administration’s broader emphasis on maintaining American leadership in advanced computing, particularly as the United States competes with China in developing increasingly powerful systems.
The terminology initiative was further promoted during a White House gathering of technology executives in late September.
The event included representatives of major companies involved in developing artificial intelligence systems, computing infrastructure and related technologies.
Several executives signed a voluntary White House agreement using the administration’s preferred terminology.
However, signing a document containing the term “super intelligence” does not necessarily indicate that participating companies have agreed to abandon their existing terminology or adopt the new designation across their operations.
Most major technology companies continue to use “artificial intelligence” in their product names, corporate descriptions and research materials.
The distinction has become an important part of the debate surrounding Trump’s proposed rebranding.
Artificial intelligence is an established technical term covering a broad range of computer systems designed to perform tasks involving learning, prediction, reasoning, perception, language processing and decision-making.
The field includes technologies ranging from relatively narrow machine-learning applications to advanced generative systems capable of producing text, images, software and other content.
Superintelligence, by contrast, has traditionally carried a more specific meaning in research discussions.
The term commonly refers to a hypothetical form of artificial intelligence that substantially exceeds human intellectual capabilities across a broad range of tasks.
Although existing AI systems have demonstrated performance exceeding human capabilities in certain specialized areas, researchers continue debating whether any present-day system meets a rigorous definition of general superintelligence.
Trump’s executive order uses the two terms interchangeably for federal administrative purposes, departing from the distinction commonly made in academic and technical literature.
That difference could create confusion when federal policy documents refer to existing AI systems as super intelligence while researchers use the latter term to describe capabilities that may not yet exist.
Technology companies, universities and scientific organizations have not broadly adopted the new designation.
The White House itself has also continued using the older terminology in some materials.
As Axios reported Thursday, federal government resources still contain references to artificial intelligence despite the administration’s stated policy of replacing the expression.
The continued operation of AI.gov, a federal website associated with government technology initiatives, illustrates the incomplete transition.
Such inconsistencies are particularly notable because the president’s latest statement characterizes the continued use of the established terminology as opposition to the White House.
The executive order provides no explicit sanctions for officials who use the older term, and Trump’s post did not announce any enforcement mechanism.
Federal agencies are expected to update communications in accordance with the directive, but implementation may require revisions to existing websites, templates, publications and internal procedures.
The order’s exemption for historical records and previously issued documents means that references to AI will remain in some federal materials even after the changes are implemented.
The president’s preferred terminology has received varying levels of support from technology executives.
Elon Musk, who leads several technology businesses, announced plans to rename SpaceX’s artificial intelligence division from SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI.
The announcement, reported by Reuters on Oct. 4, represented one of the more direct corporate responses to Trump’s terminology initiative.
Musk indicated that the revised name would reflect the administration’s preference for “SI” rather than “AI.”
However, the broader technology industry has not made comparable changes to established brands or corporate identities.
Companies including OpenAI, Google and Microsoft continue to use artificial intelligence in widely distributed products, research publications and marketing materials.
Some technology firms have incorporated references to superintelligence into the names of specific research divisions or initiatives, but such usage does not necessarily replace AI as the industry’s general terminology.
Meta, for example, has used language associated with superintelligence in describing research ambitions and organizational priorities.
The company’s use of the term reflects a particular technological objective rather than a complete renaming of artificial intelligence.
The distinction is also relevant because AI encompasses numerous technologies that do not purport to possess capabilities exceeding human intelligence.
Systems used for fraud detection, medical image processing, weather forecasting and industrial automation can qualify as artificial intelligence without meeting the traditional definition of superintelligence.
The administration’s rebranding would place those applications under the same federal terminology.
Some technology researchers have questioned whether the new designation accurately describes the current state of development.
The debate extends beyond branding because terminology can influence how policymakers, consumers and investors understand the capabilities and limitations of advanced systems.
Artificial intelligence technologies are being used in fields ranging from scientific research and medicine to transportation, national security and consumer services.
Their capabilities vary considerably, and many remain subject to limitations involving reliability, accuracy, security and the interpretation of complex information.
Applying a designation associated with intelligence beyond human capabilities to all such systems could create different expectations among people unfamiliar with the technical distinctions.
The administration, however, argues that the new terminology is intended to recognize technological progress and emphasize the opportunities associated with continued innovation.
The White House fact sheet accompanying the September order presents the initiative as part of a broader effort to promote American technological leadership.
The document describes advanced computing as an important source of economic growth and scientific development.
It also outlines the administration’s expectation that federal agencies will use the preferred terminology consistently as policy changes are implemented.
Trump’s latest comments followed growing public discussion of the name change after technology executives and researchers continued referring to the field as artificial intelligence.
A September survey conducted by YouGov indicated that relatively few Americans preferred “super intelligence” over the established terminology.
According to the survey, approximately 9% of respondents favored the president’s preferred replacement.
That result contrasts with Trump’s assertion Thursday that the new term is already widely accepted.
The survey measured public preference at a particular point in time and does not establish how terminology might change as government agencies and companies respond to the directive.
The rebranding initiative is occurring alongside other federal measures focused on the development and oversight of advanced computing systems.
The administration has emphasized expanding domestic data center capacity, improving access to computing resources and supporting American companies competing internationally.
Federal officials have also promoted agreements with technology companies intended to encourage investment and coordination on safety, infrastructure and national security concerns.
Earlier this month, Trump announced a federal initiative known as the Super Intelligence Force, intended to coordinate government activity involving the technology.
The initiative includes representatives from federal agencies with responsibilities involving research, commerce, national security and technology policy.
The administration has presented the group as a mechanism for supporting American leadership in advanced computing while addressing concerns about the technology’s deployment.
Separately, federal officials have promoted the Genesis Mission, an initiative intended to use advanced computing systems to accelerate scientific research and development.
These programs illustrate that the terminology campaign is unfolding within a broader policy agenda involving federal research, private investment and international technological competition.
The language used to describe those programs may change under the executive order, but the underlying technologies and existing statutory authorities remain subject to applicable law.
Thursday’s statement raises additional questions about whether the president expects private companies and other organizations to voluntarily adopt his preferred terminology.
The executive order itself is limited to federal executive-branch communications and cannot automatically require private citizens or businesses to abandon the term artificial intelligence.
The First Amendment also protects private speech from government restrictions based solely on the use of ordinary terminology, subject to established constitutional limitations and exceptions.
Trump’s description of people using the older term as enemies does not, by itself, establish a new legal prohibition or authorize penalties.
The White House has not announced any separate regulation that would punish individuals or companies for continuing to refer to AI.
Instead, the president’s declaration appears to intensify public pressure for adoption of the terminology introduced in September.
The administration has argued that “super intelligence” presents a more accurate description of increasingly capable technology, while many researchers and businesses continue to use artificial intelligence as the broader established term.
For federal agencies, implementation of Executive Order 14434 is already underway, although the continued presence of AI terminology in government materials indicates that the transition remains incomplete.
For the private sector, adoption remains voluntary.
The central question is whether the White House’s preferred terminology will gain widespread acceptance or remain primarily a government-specific designation.
Trump’s Thursday message makes clear that he regards the naming issue as a significant part of his administration’s technology agenda.
However, the presidential order does not change the technical capabilities of existing systems, require private businesses to rename their products or establish legal penalties for continuing to use the term artificial intelligence.
As government agencies revise official materials and technology companies determine whether to adopt the new language, “AI” remains the prevailing term across much of the industry, despite the president’s declaration that those who continue using it will be regarded as enemies of the White House.
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