President Donald Trump used the term "AI" during an interview on the CBS News program "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday, November 8, 2026. The usage occurred despite a directive the president issued earlier this year regarding the terminology used for the technology.
In September 2026, President Trump issued an executive order requiring government departments and agencies to use the term "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" in their communications. Following that order, he stated on his Truth Social platform that the White House would view those who continue to use the term "artificial intelligence" as "the enemy."
During the interview with CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat, the president was asked how the technology would benefit Americans after being described as an "AI bull." In his initial response, the president used the term "AI" before correcting himself to use his preferred terminology. "The reason I’m an AI bull, one of the reasons, is because [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping] left here two weeks ago," Trump said, adding that the Chinese leader is "all in to SI, as I call it, because it really is super intelligence."
President Trump also noted that he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping approximately two weeks prior to the interview, which would be around late October 2026. During that meeting, the two leaders discussed the "race" for technological dominance. The president told Douthat that "whoever wins that race wins," emphasizing the importance of the "level of power" associated with leading in the development of super intelligence. Trump stated that the new name is "better" because the technology is "not artificial."