Donald Trump wants to rename one of the biggest tech terms in the world. The president announced plans to officially ban the use of “artificial intelligence” from government documents and beyond.
The new terminology Donald Trump wants federal agencies to adopt
Donald Trump wants federal agencies to replace “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence.” The president posted on Truth Social that he will officially ban the term “AI/Artificial Intelligence” in “all relevant documents, and everything else, due to its inaccuracy.”
Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 29 directing federal agencies to use “super intelligence” instead. He emphasized this preferred terminology during a White House meeting with Elon Musk and other tech executives last month. The president also called on The Wall Street Journal to adopt the new term. He claimed, “virtually everyone else” already uses it or “soon will be” (via Deadline).
The push faces significant practical challenges. The term “artificial intelligence” dates back decades and remains the industry standard. Media outlets have continued using “AI” despite the executive order. The Trump White House itself previously used the original terminology in its “AI Action Plan” released last year.
Public opinion may partly drive the rebranding effort. Polling shows significant public concern about the impact of AI. Negative views of data centers have also grown. The term “super intelligence” could aim to soften these perceptions.
The White House has attempted similar rebrands before with mixed results. It banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office for refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The AP sued, and a federal judge ruled the White House likely violated the First Amendment. That decision remains on appeal. Trump’s authority to force public adoption of new terminology remains legally limited. Steven Spielberg’s film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, released in 2001, further illustrates how deeply embedded the original term remains in American culture.
