Trump pushes 'superintelligence' as AI's new name, response mixed
Reports diverge on whether the renaming push was a serious diplomatic directive, a rhetorical UN speech aside, or a claim about a deal with China that AI developers and China's government have responded to differently.
What happened
Donald Trump has pushed for the term 'artificial intelligence' to be replaced with 'superintelligence' or 'super intelligence', with one report saying the State Department instructed diplomats to use the new term.234
At the UN, Trump argued the word 'artificial' wrongly makes intelligence sound 'fake' when he considers it 'actually amazing'.1
Trump said the topic would come up, or had come up, in his meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, claiming Xi 'liked' the renaming.35
Major AI developers including the makers of ChatGPT, Grok, Claude and Gemini reportedly declined the request, saying 'superintelligence' describes a different, more advanced category of AI than what exists today.4
China's foreign ministry said it 'respects' or 'attaches importance to' the US shift in terminology, without directly confirming Trump's account of Xi's agreement.67
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
- Trump pushed for replacing the term 'artificial intelligence' with 'superintelligence' (or 'super intelligence').2345
- Trump raised the term change in connection with China, saying it would be discussed with, or had been agreed to by, Xi Jinping.35
- China's government responded to Trump's terminology switch, with its foreign ministry saying it 'respects' or 'attaches importance to' the change.67
Where accounts differ
Each account is attributed to who makes it. We do not judge between them.
Whether the term change was a formal diplomatic order or an informal push
Clarín
The State Department sent an email to all delegations instructing them to replace the term 'artificial intelligence' with 'superintelligence'.3
Anadolu Agency
Trump pushed for the renaming, but the outlet frames it as a request rather than a formal order, one that AI makers themselves rejected.4
The Register
Describes the renaming as a proposal by 'a politician who likes renaming bodies of water', framing it skeptically alongside a reference to a 'globalist scheme' to control the technology.2
Whether Xi Jinping actually agreed to the renaming
Trump, via NDTV
Trump said Xi Jinping agreed to renaming AI to 'Super Intelligence' and that Xi 'liked it'.5
Whether 'superintelligence' is an accurate substitute for 'artificial intelligence'
AI makers (ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, Gemini), via Anadolu Agency
AI companies rejected the request, saying 'superintelligence' refers to a distinct, more advanced category of models than those existing today, and that 'artificial intelligence' remains the accurate term.4
Trump
Trump argued the word 'artificial' makes intelligence seem 'fake' when it is not, suggesting the terminology should change.1
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| Latin American pressLatin America | Reports the renaming as a concrete US policy action, emphasizing the State Department directive to diplomats and its link to the Xi Jinping meeting.3 | State Department email, diplomatic order, China meeting |
| UK tech pressEurope | Frames the story with skepticism, linking the renaming push to Trump's past pattern of renaming things (bodies of water) and to allegations of a 'globalist scheme'.2 | politician who renames things, globalist scheme, skeptical tone |
| Turkish state-controlled outletMiddle East & Turkey | Emphasizes the rejection of the renaming by major AI companies, framing the push as unsuccessful and out of step with technical usage.4 | AI makers reject request, term likely to persist, technical distinction |
| South Asian pressSouth Asia | Centers on Trump's own claims about Xi Jinping's reaction, reporting his account of Chinese agreement alongside separate remarks from Xi on US-China AI cooperation.5 | Trump's claim about Xi, Xi's cooperation remarks, US-China dynamic |
| Southeast Asian outlets covering China's responseSoutheast Asia | Both outlets focus on Beijing's official reaction, reporting the Chinese foreign ministry's language of 'respect' and 'importance' toward the US terminology shift, without confirming a bilateral agreement.67 | foreign ministry statement, respects/attaches importance, no confirmation of agreement |
| Nigerian independent pressAfrica | Presents the renaming remarks as one of several controversies from Trump's UN speech, quoting his direct rationale about the word 'artificial' implying fakeness.1 | UN speech controversies, direct quotes, rationale for renaming |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reported the exact wording or full content of the State Department email described by Clarín.
- None of the outlets reviewed detailed what, if anything, Xi Jinping himself said directly about the renaming proposal, beyond Trump's characterization and separate remarks on AI cooperation.
- None of the outlets reviewed explained what practical effect, if any, the terminology change would have on US policy or diplomatic documents.
Why it matters
Trump argued the word 'artificial' wrongly implies intelligence is fake, calling AI 'actually amazing' in a UN speech.1
The proposed renaming touches on a major US-China talking point, as Trump said it would be a key topic in his meeting with Xi Jinping.3
What to watch
- Whether the State Department formally adopts 'superintelligence' in official communications, as described by Clarín.
- Whether the topic is raised in further US-China diplomatic exchanges following Trump's remarks about discussing it with Xi Jinping.
- Whether AI companies' continued use of 'artificial intelligence' becomes a point of friction with the US administration's preferred terminology.
Sources (7)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
Latin America
- 3ClarínARPrivate
Donald Trump orders his diplomats to say "superintelligence" and not "artificial intelligence"
Translated from Spanish: Donald Trump ordena a sus diplomáticos que digan "superinteligencia" y no "inteligencia artificial"
Europe
Middle East & Turkey
- 4Anadolu AgencyTRState-controlled
Trump’s push for ‘superintelligence’ finds no support from AI makers
Africa
- 1Premium TimesNGIndependent
South Asia
Southeast Asia
- 6Malay MailMYPrivate
China says it ‘respects’ Trump’s calling AI ‘super intelligence’
- 7CNASGState-controlled
China says it 'respects' Trump's 'super intelligence' switch from AI