Full Breakdown
Trump’s “Super Intelligence” Rebrand and the Tech Industry’s Mixed Response
By Drooid · · How we work
Trump’s Push to Rename AI as “Super Intelligence”
President Donald Trump issued an executive order that officially rebranded “artificial intelligence” as “Super Intelligence,” two words in title case. In a social-media post, Trump declared that anyone who continues to use the term “Artificial Intelligence” is “THE ENEMY.” The order has prompted a rapid shift in terminology among some leading AI firms, while others have remained cautious or absent from the process.
Background: From Early AI to a Political Rebranding
AI research began in the 1950s and later focused on neural networks, deep learning, and large language models that power today’s chatbots, image generators, and coding tools. The concept of “superintelligence” – a hypothetical intelligence surpassing human capability – originated in science-fiction and was popularized academically by Nick Bostrom’s 2014 book *Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies*. Prior to Trump’s order, the two terms were largely distinct in both scholarly and industry discourse.
CEOs’ Responses to the Rebrand
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, did not attend the September 29 White House meeting and has not used the phrase “Super Intelligence” publicly; his X posts still reference “AI” as of October 6.
- Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, attended the September 29 meeting, signed the resulting document, and later dined with Trump. He has not publicly clarified his stance beyond participation.
- Jeff Bezos, founder of the AI venture Project Prometheus, embraced the new terminology in a Fox News interview, saying he prefers “SI” because “artificial” sounds unflattering.
- Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, used “Super Intelligence” in an interview with Elon Musk immediately after the White House event and referenced it repeatedly in a subsequent X post.
- Alphabet/Google’s CEO signed the White House accord and posted a brief acknowledgment of the “Super Intelligence” discussion, while an employee’s later video used the traditional “AI” label.
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has historically favored the phrase “superintelligence” aspirationally and reportedly helped draft the White House document, though he has not mirrored Trump’s two-word usage in public posts.
- Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, announced plans to rename his subsidiary SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI, aligning with the president’s terminology.
Timeline of Key Events
Official Statements & Responses
- Donald Trump framed the terminology shift as a corrective measure, labeling the continued use of “Artificial Intelligence” as antagonistic.
- Jeff Bezos justified his preference for “SI” by arguing that “artificial” carries negative connotations, likening it to artificial sweeteners or flavorings.
- Marc Benioff positioned his company’s product rename as a forward-looking alignment with the “Super Intelligence” era.
These statements illustrate a spectrum of acceptance, from outright endorsement to strategic neutrality, reflecting the tech industry’s navigation of a politically driven linguistic change.
