Donald Trump Renames Artificial Intelligence At United Nations General Assembly

Donald Trump recently sparked headlines after announcing at the United Nations that the United States would begin referring to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence,” or SI.

But did Trump actually rename AI for the United Nations?

Not quite.

Trump made the announcement while addressing the U.N., but he does not have the authority to rename artificial intelligence for the entire organization—or for the rest of the world. The change is about U.S. government terminology. The State Department has also instructed diplomats in its international organizations bureau to use “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in their communications.

Trump’s reasoning is straightforward: he believes the word “artificial” makes intelligence sound fake or less real. “Super intelligence,” on the other hand, sounds more powerful and suggests intelligence that could eventually exceed human capabilities.

But changing the name doesn’t change the technology.

AI systems don’t suddenly become more capable because we call them SI. The technology, algorithms, computing power and risks remain the same. What does change is the way we talk about it.

And that may be the more interesting part of the story.

AI is no longer just a Silicon Valley buzzword. It has become a major political, economic and geopolitical issue. Governments are competing to develop advanced AI, attract talent, control computing resources and shape the rules surrounding the technology.

So, no—the United Nations hasn’t officially renamed AI.

For now, AI is still AI.

But Trump’s announcement raises a bigger question: as these systems become increasingly powerful, will the words we use to describe them eventually matter less than what we’re actually willing to let them do?

The name may be changing in Washington.

The technology, however, is still evolving everywhere.