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Trump directs US government to replace artificial intelligence with superintelligence

Addressing the United Nations, Trump argued the existing label sounds fake following an informal online poll.

Updated Sep 22, 2026 · 22:34 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • President Donald Trump announced at the United Nations General Assembly that the U.S. government must use the term "superintelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" in official documents.[The Washington Sun · Business Insider]
  • Trump claimed the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake, settling on the new phrasing after polling options on Truth Social.[The Washington Sun · Business Insider]
  • The directive comes despite industry debate over safety guardrails, which Trump dismissed by asserting he serves as the only necessary safeguard.[The Washington Sun]
  • Because "artificial intelligence" is a convention rather than a legal term, the president cannot unilaterally alter how the private sector or public references the technology.[Business Insider]

Key facts

  • Trump stated during an address to the United Nations General Assembly that the U.S. government will officially refer to artificial intelligence as superintelligence.[The Washington Sun · Business Insider]
  • Trump explained his rationale by claiming the descriptor artificial makes the technology sound fake.[Business Insider]
  • Prior to the speech, Trump polled Truth Social users on alternatives including extreme, supreme, superior, and super intelligence, with super winning.[The Washington Sun]
  • Artificial intelligence is an established commercial and colloquial term without a legal designation that a president can unilaterally alter.[Business Insider]
  • The announcement followed calls by industry leaders, such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, to slow development for safety measures, which Trump dismissed.[The Washington Sun]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains unclear how widely federal agencies will implement the terminology shift and whether it will influence broader industry adoption beyond government publications.[The Washington Sun · Business Insider]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.