US President Donald Trump has threatened to ban the use of the term “artificial intelligence” in official documents and other materials, arguing that the phrase is inaccurate and should be replaced with “super intelligence”.
Trump made the announcement on Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform, questioning why The Wall Street Journal had not adopted his preferred terminology for the rapidly developing technology.
“When will The Wall Street Journal start calling Artificial Intelligence (AI), a very bad and inaccurate name, SI (Super Intelligence), the name which virtually everyone else is using, or soon will be,” Trump wrote.
He added that his administration would move to prohibit the term in relevant documents and other communications.
“In short order, we will be officially BANNING the term, ‘AI/Artificial Intelligence,’ in all relevant documents, and everything else, due to its inaccuracy,” Trump said.
The president did not provide details on how the proposed ban would be implemented, which government agencies or documents would be affected, or whether the restriction would extend beyond official government communications to private companies and the wider public.
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Artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, is the established term for technologies that enable computer systems to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, including generating text and images, analysing information, recognising patterns and assisting with decision-making.
Trump’s preferred term, “super intelligence”, is associated with the concept of AI systems that could surpass human capabilities across a broad range of tasks. However, it is not a general replacement for artificial intelligence, which encompasses a wide range of existing technologies and applications.
The proposed terminology change comes as the US government continues to navigate the rapid development of AI technologies and their implications for the economy, national security and competition with other countries.
Trump’s post did not identify a specific policy or technical basis for replacing the established terminology. His comments also did not clarify whether the proposed ban would involve a formal executive action or an administrative directive.
The Wall Street Journal’s response to the president’s demand was not included in the report.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
