The State Department has instructed its diplomats to stop using the term artificial intelligence and adopt super intelligence in all official communications. As reported by The Hill, the directive follows President Donald Trump’s argument that the word artificial makes the technology sound fake.
The order went out in an internal email to the department’s Bureau of International Organizations, which manages diplomatic missions to the United Nations and other global agencies. The email, with the subject line “Change in Nomenclature AI to SI,” was sent by Michael Draper, the bureau’s deputy assistant secretary of state.
Trump first signaled interest in a name change on Saturday, when he asked the public for input on social media, as detailed by The Washington Times. He proposed alternatives including Superior Intelligence, Extreme Intelligence, and Supreme Intelligence, and invited users on X and Truth Social to vote in a poll.
The email went out right after Trump’s UN speech
Following the president’s remarks at the General Assembly, the email instructed staff to “change all references of Artificial Intelligence to Super Intelligence” in documents and positions. It added that the department will use SI in all remarks, positions, and press elements moving forward.
Trump announced the change during his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, saying official U.S. documents would now refer to AI as super intelligence. He said the word artificial makes intelligence sound fake, adding, “It is not fake. It is actually amazing. But we have to be careful.” He also said he hopes the rest of the world will adopt the term.
Merriam-Webster defines super intelligence as a form of artificial intelligence that exceeds human intelligence. Frontier AI firms often use the term to describe their ultimate development goals, though it is also associated with concerns about the risks the technology could pose to human life.
Trump has favored an AI-friendly regulatory environment and has called AI doomsday fears a hoax. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar recently introduced legislation aimed at banning artificial super intelligence that cannot be controlled by humans and pausing advanced AI development until safety rules are in place.
Sanders said, “AI is an existential threat to humanity,” adding that Congress must act before it is too late. Trump has said he believes AI and data centers will be the greatest economic development engine in history.
A September University of Massachusetts Amherst survey found that only 5% of Americans strongly support building AI data centers in their local communities. A September Politico poll found that 63% of Americans believe AI carries at least a moderate risk of destroying humanity.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has said Congress will not act irrationally or haphazardly by imposing burdensome regulations on the industry.
Published: Sep 24, 2026 06:45 pm