President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US executive branch to use “Super Intelligence” in place of “artificial intelligence” and “AI,” according to The Verge’s September 29 report. The change covers official policy websites, policy documents and press releases going forward. Agencies can leave past regulations and documents unchanged.
That exception matters for readers comparing new federal statements with older rules. The government can describe the same subject with different terms depending on when it published the document.
A broader use of a technical term
The Verge describes superintelligence as an industry term for particularly powerful forms of AI. The administration instead wants to use it in place of the broader statutory definition of AI. The report says officials will be expected to avoid acknowledging the older terms in relevant settings.
Trump discussed the name at the launch of America.gov on September 29. He had raised the proposed change at the United Nations General Assembly the previous week, with the aim of easing fears about rapid AI advances and safety risks, the report says.
The accompanying policy remarks
Trump signed the order after a White House lunch with technology executives and government officials. In public remarks afterward, he expressed support for extensive self-regulation and pointed to the Department of Justice and FBI as existing sources of regulation.
Those remarks describe his preferred approach to oversight. The report’s concrete account of the order concerns terminology and the exception for past documents. It does not establish changes to particular enforcement duties or safety requirements.
