Trump Renames AI as 'Super Intelligence' in Bold Push to Win Public Trust
President Donald Trump has formally rebranded artificial intelligence as super intelligence across the executive branch, arguing the technology deserves a name that reflects its power. The move, announced Tuesday alongside an executive order, is part of a broader administration effort to reshape public opinion on AI and accelerate its adoption in the U.S. economy.
“So we're going to name it SI, super intelligence, for we don't want to hear artificial because it's not artificial,” Trump said. “It's very powerful, it's very brilliant, it's going to mostly be put to great use and we'll stop the bad use. But we're changing the name to super intelligence and everybody likes it.”
The rebranding comes as the White House bets heavily on AI to drive economic growth and help address the national debt. Yet the administration faces a skeptical American public. A recent CNN poll found that nearly nine in ten Americans are more concerned than excited about AI surpassing human intelligence, and about seven in ten say the federal government is not doing enough to regulate it.
Why is the Trump administration rebranding AI?
The name change is about more than optics. Trump and his allies argue that “artificial” undersells a technology they believe will be transformative. At Tuesday's signing event, Trump framed the push in historic terms: “I'm not going to stifle growth of something that will be bigger than the industrial revolution.”
The administration also sees American leadership in AI as a national security priority, especially with China racing to develop similar capabilities. David Sacks, Trump's former AI czar, warned that losing the AI race would “alter the balance of power in the world in a very unfavorable way.”
What is the White House Accord on Super Intelligence?
Alongside the executive order, industry leaders signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, a voluntary set of safety commitments that Trump described as “morally binding.” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) joined Trump in announcing the accord, which aims to establish guardrails without slowing innovation.
The agreement reflects a delicate balance: the administration wants to reassure the public while avoiding regulations that could hinder U.S. competitiveness. Critics argue that voluntary commitments are not enough, especially as surveys show Americans are far more wary of AI than people in China.
How does the public feel about AI in the U.S. versus China?
Public opinion on AI diverges sharply between the two superpowers. In China, one recent poll found that 69% of respondents believe AI's benefits outweigh its risks, and another found that 72% trust AI. In the U.S., only 32% of Americans express similar trust.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed last week to establish an AI safety channel between the two countries, a rare area of cooperation amid broader tensions.
Why are AI executives calling for a slowdown?
Some of the loudest warnings about AI's risks come from the industry's own leaders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay arguing that AI labs should deliberately slow advances so safety work can keep pace. He has also estimated a 25% chance that AI goes “really, really badly” for humanity.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk publicly agreed with Amodei's call. Trump responded on Truth Social, writing: “The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!”
He added that his administration “has stopped AI 'people' from doing bad, or potentially bad, 'things,' like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a 'perfect little angel.'”
The tension between Trump and Amodei is notable. Earlier this year, the Pentagon labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk after the company said its technology should not be used for mass surveillance of Americans or fully autonomous weapons. Yet Amodei and Trump had dinner together Sunday night, two days before the signing.
What does this mean for the future of AI regulation?
Palantir CEO Alex Karp, a vocal advocate for American AI development, was among those present Tuesday. Karp has argued that slowing down might make sense if the U.S. had no adversaries advancing the technology. With China competing for the lead, he sees no such option.
The rebranding to “super intelligence” may help frame the debate, but it does not resolve the core tension: how to harness a transformative technology while protecting the public from its risks. As the administration pushes forward, the question of who controls AI, and how, will only grow more urgent.
Photo: The Daily Wire