President Donald Trump Declares 'Artificial Intelligence' Enemies
US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by labeling anyone using the term “artificial intelligence” as “the enemy” in a recent post on Truth. According to Trump, the White House prefers the term “super intelligence” (SI) and considers the older term unacceptable.
In his statement, Trump wrote, *"The White House considers anyone that uses the term, 'Artificial Intelligence,' as opposed to the highly accepted new and more accurate term, 'Super Intelligence,' THE ENEMY!"
This declaration follows an executive order signed by Trump on September 29, instructing federal agencies to use super intelligence (SI) in their public statements, websites, and reports. The Justice Department further reinforced this change, advising staff to adopt the new term, super intelligence, in court filings when appropriate.
Some tech leaders have embraced the new term. Elon Musk, for instance, has renamed his company's AI unit to SpaceXSI. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also expressed support for the change, stating, "I do like SI, because 'artificial' is not a very flattering thing."
However, Trump's claim of widespread acceptance for super intelligence is met with skepticism. Super intelligence/superintelligence, a concept popularized by Nick Bostrom, refers to an intellect surpassing human capabilities across various domains. Marketing professor Jean-Pierre Dubé believes this term is unlikely to gain traction soon.
The order, while targeted at federal entities, has international implications. Slovenia's registry witnessed a surge in .si domain registrations following the executive order, as the country code aligns with the new term.
It's important to note that the order carries no penalties for using the old term and creates no rights enforceable against the government or individuals. Courts typically treat government statements differently from private entities, as established by the Freedom Forum, a free-expression group.
The legal implications extend to private groups as well. A 2024 Supreme Court ruling in NRA v. Vullo prohibited a New York official from pressuring insurers to cut ties with the National Rifle Association. Justice Sonia Sotomayor emphasized, "A government official cannot coerce a private party to punish or suppress disfavored speech on her behalf."
First Amendment scholar Eugene Volokh has discussed the limits of government control over names, citing the Gulf of Mexico dispute in 2025 as an example. "The English name of places even within the U.S. isn't subject to the control of the U.S. government," Volokh wrote.
As of now, press freedom organizations have not issued a statement regarding this latest development.