That hands-off approach aligns with Trump’s overall strategy to combat AI risks. The president is so determined to win the so-called AI race that he will not put up significant barriers to the industry. Meanwhile, polls show that most voters want stricter regulations on AI before the midterm elections.
Critics worry that Trump’s most recent attempt to change the name from “artificial intelligence” (AI) to “superintelligence” (SI) will only further confuse the public about the risks of AI, while primarily serving to make Trump feel that the United States has already reached a milestone in AI that is, in reality, quite far away.
Now that American companies like OpenAI are apparently losing control of their frontier models, Trump’s understanding of the risks of AI also continues to come under scrutiny.
But Trump wants to be trusted as the sole authority on AI, no questions asked. At a recent United Nations assembly, Trump claimed that his rebranding is simply because the president believes the word “artificial” makes the technology sound “fake,” the South China Morning Post reported. He has used security scandals to argue that cutting-edge AI now goes beyond “simply imitating or automating aspects of human intelligence” and that supposedly makes “superintelligence” a “better reflection” of American AI companies; “Increasing capabilities and potential,” SCMP reported.
Trump officials have already adopted SI as the preferred term. In the Department of Justice press release, Deputy Attorney General for Homeland Security John A. Eisenberg stated that “IS is the defining technology of the era.” Although AI leaders know the term is technically inaccurate, CEOs like Huang and Elon Musk have also committed to using SI.
Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, told SCMP that Trump is simply trying to project American dominance while ignoring the risks. By hyping today’s AI, the president hopes his rebrand will tie his legacy to the time when AI surpassed human capabilities.
Chan joined California Governor Gavin Newsom in warning that the rebranding risks increasing “some people’s perception of risk and fear” amid frontier AI companies claiming the technology could soon pose existential risks.
Newsom roundly rejected Trump’s rebrand, describing it as a “powerless and cowardly failure to address well-documented emerging safety and security risks.”
And “respectfully,” so does China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SCMP reported. Both governments have immense influence over AI regulations and will continue to use AI, not SI.
