President Donald Trump stated on Friday, September 25, 2026, that Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to support his proposal to rename artificial intelligence as "super intelligence." The comments followed a meeting between the two leaders in Washington, D.C., which Trump described in a social media post as "very productive." Trump has recently criticized the term "artificial intelligence," suggesting it makes the technology "sound fake" and that the new name is more accurate.
The discussion occurred during an official visit by President Xi, who addressed the technology publicly at the White House on Thursday, September 24. While Xi did not use the term "super intelligence" in his remarks, he stated that both nations have a "responsibility to develop and manage AI for good" and must ensure the technology remains under human control to serve public well-being. The summit took place amid broader discussions on economic competition and international security.
The rebranding effort began earlier in the week when Trump announced the change during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 22. Trump reported that the term was selected after he conducted polls on Truth Social, where "super intelligence" won over other options such as "superior intelligence," "extreme intelligence," and "supreme intelligence." Following the announcement, the State Department directed diplomats to use the new terminology in official communications.
For the average person, this change will be most noticeable in government reports, federal websites, and official statements where the acronym "SI" may replace "AI." The shift in terminology coincides with the administration's stance against new federal regulations for the industry. Trump has dismissed warnings from tech executives about the potential dangers of the technology as "a hoax," stating that the primary "guardrail" needed is a "strong and smart president." This suggests a policy direction that prioritizes development to maintain a lead over China, which Trump stated the U.S. is currently leading "by a lot."
The move sets a precedent for the executive branch to redefine technical terminology used across the federal bureaucracy. However, computer scientists and digital ethics experts from the National University of Singapore and The University of Melbourne noted that "super intelligence" typically refers to a hypothetical intellect that exceeds human capacity in all forms. These experts expressed skepticism that the industry would adopt the term for current technology, as they believe it exaggerates current capabilities. As of Friday, September 25, the summit between Trump and Xi is winding down, and it remains unknown if other countries or private tech firms will formally adopt the new naming convention.