US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will begin using the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in official government documents.
Trump made the statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, while addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the US president, the word “artificial” gives the impression that the technology is fake, despite its growing capabilities and impact.
“The use of the word artificial makes intelligence fake. It makes it sound fake, and it is not fake. It’s actually amazing, but we have to be careful,” Trump said.
He said the change would apply to US government documents and expressed hope that other countries would adopt the terminology.
“From this point forward, all of United States documents and hopefully the world’s will be changed to use the much more accurate term super, as opposed to artificial.
“So it’s super intelligence. In other words, welcome to the new world of super intelligence — SI. Let’s see if that goes. It sounds much better.”
Trump opposes tighter restrictions on AI
Trump also argued against efforts to significantly restrict the development of advanced artificial intelligence, saying the technology could bring major economic and strategic benefits.
“These are the same people that are now saying that AI is going to kill us all, that robots are going to attack us, and that everything is going to be a total disaster,” he said.
He said countries that take the lead in developing advanced AI could gain a major advantage internationally.
“Whoever wins SI, whoever wins super intelligence, wins,” Trump said.
“That’s the group that wins. And we’re leading now over China by a lot and everyone else, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Trump said the US would continue developing the technology rather than restrict its growth, comparing its potential impact with major technological transformations of the past.
“We will only encourage super intelligence. We’re going to encourage it, not rein it in,” he said.
“The United States leads the world in super intelligence and will continue to do so safely and responsibly.”
He added that US authorities would monitor the technology through the Department of Justice and other law-enforcement agencies where necessary.
‘Superintelligence’ already has a technical meaning
The term “superintelligence” is already used within AI research to describe a form of intelligence that surpasses human capabilities.
Trump’s proposed use of the term therefore differs from its established technical meaning in the field.
His remarks come as governments around the world continue to debate how artificial intelligence should be developed, regulated and monitored while balancing technological innovation with potential risks.
