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Trump says US documents will replace artificial intelligence with “super intelligence”.
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He rejects international controls that could restrict AI development.
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He claims America leads China, without providing a benchmark.
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The Justice Department could intervene if necessary.
September 23, (THEWILL) – Donald Trump says the United States will replace “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence” in government documents, pairing the proposed rebranding with a rejection of international efforts to control the technology.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026, the US president argued that “artificial” made the technology sound fake. He said the new name sounded better and urged other countries to adopt it, according to TheCable’s report published that evening.
His announcement went beyond terminology. Trump presented AI development as a contest for national power and made clear that his administration would resist restrictions he believed could slow American companies.
A New Name And Warning Against AI Restrictions
Trump rejected what he described as a global attempt to control AI, while acknowledging that major technological advances bring challenges. He compared warnings about AI’s dangers with climate warnings and argued that fear should not prevent development.
“I’m not going to stifle growth of something that will be bigger than the industrial revolution”, he said, suggesting its impact could also exceed that of the internet.
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His accompanying claim that global warming had been renamed climate change because the planet was cooling was false. NASA explains that global warming describes long-term heating, while climate change covers a broader set of changes. Its evidence shows a warming planet driven principally by human activity.
Changing the terminology in official documents would not itself demonstrate any improvement in the technology’s capabilities.
Trump Claims Lead Over China But Keeps Enforcement Option
Trump said the United States was ahead of China and other competitors, presenting leadership in the technology as a decisive advantage.
“Whoever wins SI, whoever wins super intelligence, wins”, he added. His remarks did not specify a benchmark for measuring that lead.
Despite opposing new restrictions, Trump said the Justice Department could act against AI companies if necessary, according to Reuters’ September 22 report.
That leaves an enforcement role for government alongside his promise to encourage rapid development. The speech announced a change in language and defended his approach to oversight, but it did not establish that AI risks had been resolved.
Joy Onuorah is a business journalist and brand communications specialist covering financial markets, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and the ideas reshaping business across Africa and the global market. Beyond her reporting for TheWill, Joy uses brand strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and high-value SEO to help brands build lasting market authority.
