AI & Tech · National
Musk, Benioff, Huang and Nadella adopt Trump's 'super intelligence' label for AI, The Verge reports
The Verge reports that several top tech executives have started using 'super intelligence' after President Trump ordered government agencies to use the term in place of artificial intelligence.
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What happened
Several of the most prominent figures in the technology industry have started using the phrase "super intelligence" in place of artificial intelligence, The Verge reported. The change follows President Donald Trump's announced plan to rebrand AI under the new name.
According to The Verge, Elon Musk, Marc Benioff of Salesforce, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Microsoft's Satya Nadella have all adopted the term in some form. The outlet described the moves as a capitulation to the administration. It also noted that most of the broader population is still sticking with the term AI.
The order and the White House message
What the executive order requires
The Verge reported that an executive order requiring government agencies to use the term "super intelligence" was announced at an AI summit. The outlet said that summit was attended by Huang, Nadella, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, Dario Amodei and Musk.
Trump's message on the old term
In a statement quoted by The Verge, Trump said the White House considers anyone who uses the term "Artificial Intelligence" instead of what he called the "highly accepted new and more accurate term" to be "THE ENEMY!" The Verge said that when the plan was first announced, readers could be forgiven for doubting the new name would catch on.
How tech executives responded
Musk and SpaceXAI
Musk was quick to get on board, according to The Verge, promising to rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI. The outlet said his move was not surprising.
Salesforce and AIForce
Hours after Trump's statement, Benioff announced that Salesforce would rename AIForce to SIForce, The Verge reported. The outlet called it a quick capitulation but said it was not entirely out of character.
Nvidia's $1 billion commitment
Huang attended the summit where the order was announced, The Verge reported. The outlet said Huang has aligned himself with Trump and has said he believes the danger posed by AI is overblown. When Nvidia declared it would "commit" $1 billion to scientific advancement, that pledge included "super intelligence research," according to The Verge, which added that Huang has a lot to lose if he gets on Trump's bad side.
Nadella's emergency brake post
The Verge described Nadella as the latest executive to adopt the new term. In a post calling for an "emergency brake" to be built for AI, Nadella repeatedly referred to the technology as "super intelligence," the outlet reported. Our earlier brief covered Nadella's call for an AI emergency brake and human controls.
The broader relationship with the administration
The Verge placed the naming shift in a larger pattern. The outlet said that during Trump's second term, Silicon Valley has repeatedly tried to ingratiate itself with the administration, after a much more contentious relationship during his first term.
The outlet's account shows the new term appearing in company product names, research pledges and executive statements. According to The Verge, the executive order itself requires government agencies to use the term. More coverage of artificial intelligence policy is collected in our AI and tech section.
What to watch next
- Whether SpaceXAI is renamed SpaceXSI, as Musk promised, according to The Verge.
- Salesforce's announced plan to rename AIForce to SIForce.
- How Nvidia directs its pledge to "commit" $1 billion to scientific advancement, which The Verge said includes "super intelligence research."
