State Department Adopts Trump’s ‘Super Intelligence’ Term
2 days ago
The State Department is directing diplomats in its Bureau of International Organization Affairs to use the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence,” following President Donald Trump’s call to rebrand the rapidly developing technology.
The directive came shortly after Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday. In an email obtained by The Associated Press, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michael Drager instructed employees to replace references to “Artificial Intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” in documents and official positions.
“We will be using ‘SI’ in all remarks, positions and press elements moving forward,” Drager wrote in the email, which carried the subject line “Change in Nomenclature AI to SI.”
The Bureau of International Organization Affairs oversees U.S. diplomatic engagement with the United Nations and other multilateral organizations. It remains unclear whether other State Department bureaus or federal agencies have received similar instructions.
During his U.N. address, Trump said the term “artificial” makes the technology sound fake and argued that “super intelligence” is a more accurate description.
“The use of the word artificial makes intelligence fake, it makes it sound fake and it is not fake. It’s actually amazing,” Trump told the General Assembly.
Trump said U.S. government documents would begin using the new terminology, declaring that “from this point forward” the government would use “super” rather than “artificial” when referring to the technology.
U.S. representatives began using the “SI” terminology Wednesday during a U.N. Security Council meeting focused on the rapidly developing technology and its potential security risks.
It remains unclear how broadly the terminology will be adopted across the federal government or whether agencies will rename existing programs that currently use “AI.”
The change comes amid a broader debate over how Washington should approach increasingly powerful technology. Some technology executives, researchers and lawmakers have called for stronger safeguards, warning that advanced systems could eventually become difficult for humans to control.
Trump has pushed back against broad new restrictions, arguing that excessive regulation could slow American innovation and allow China to gain an advantage in the global technology race.
The issue is also expected to be part of discussions between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s state visit to Washington.
The directive came shortly after Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday. In an email obtained by The Associated Press, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michael Drager instructed employees to replace references to “Artificial Intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” in documents and official positions.
“We will be using ‘SI’ in all remarks, positions and press elements moving forward,” Drager wrote in the email, which carried the subject line “Change in Nomenclature AI to SI.”
The Bureau of International Organization Affairs oversees U.S. diplomatic engagement with the United Nations and other multilateral organizations. It remains unclear whether other State Department bureaus or federal agencies have received similar instructions.
During his U.N. address, Trump said the term “artificial” makes the technology sound fake and argued that “super intelligence” is a more accurate description.
“The use of the word artificial makes intelligence fake, it makes it sound fake and it is not fake. It’s actually amazing,” Trump told the General Assembly.
Trump said U.S. government documents would begin using the new terminology, declaring that “from this point forward” the government would use “super” rather than “artificial” when referring to the technology.
U.S. representatives began using the “SI” terminology Wednesday during a U.N. Security Council meeting focused on the rapidly developing technology and its potential security risks.
It remains unclear how broadly the terminology will be adopted across the federal government or whether agencies will rename existing programs that currently use “AI.”
The change comes amid a broader debate over how Washington should approach increasingly powerful technology. Some technology executives, researchers and lawmakers have called for stronger safeguards, warning that advanced systems could eventually become difficult for humans to control.
Trump has pushed back against broad new restrictions, arguing that excessive regulation could slow American innovation and allow China to gain an advantage in the global technology race.
The issue is also expected to be part of discussions between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s state visit to Washington.
