The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has moved to rebrand "artificial intelligence" as "super intelligence," according to TechCrunch. The president hosted numerous leaders from the artificial intelligence industry this week, where the change was announced.
The shift in terminology was formalized by executive order, requiring official U.S. representatives to use "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence," TechCrunch reported. This rebranding effort, which included the announcement of a new "Super Intelligence Force" by Trump this weekend, was discussed on TechCrunch's "Equity" podcast by Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and Anthony Ha.
During the meeting, industry executives also signed a "Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities." Sean O’Kane described this commitment as "deeply non-binding" from a legal perspective, according to TechCrunch. President Trump, however, characterized it as "morally binding."
Among the prominent figures reportedly present at the gathering were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. TechCrunch noted that "pretty much every tech power broker from every major tech company that exists" attended the luncheon.
Context of the Meeting and Rebranding
The recent gathering and rebranding efforts follow a period where President Trump had previously expressed skepticism about the need for AI regulation. Just two weeks prior to the meeting, Trump had stated that the U.S. needed to lead in AI and should not constrain it with regulation. He also suggested that those raising concerns about AI's dangers were "Chinese or Democratic plant[s]," according to TechCrunch.
Kirsten Korosec of TechCrunch suggested that the meeting's primary significance was a "rebranding effort around AI." She interpreted the underlying message as distinguishing "super intelligence" from the perceived negative connotations of "artificial intelligence." Korosec stated that the message implied, "AI is going to kill us, it’s scary, it is going to take jobs — but super intelligence is not."
The "Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities" itself appeared to have been assembled quickly. Sean O’Kane pointed out that the document misspelled "United States," which TechCrunch suggested indicated a rushed process.
Anthropic's Shifting Relationship with the Administration
Anthropic, a prominent AI company, was reportedly "in the doghouse" with the Trump administration just days before the high-profile luncheon. This situation changed following a 10 p.m. dinner between Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and President Trump, according to TechCrunch. This dinner preceded Amodei's participation in the subsequent luncheon with other tech leaders.
Despite Amodei's presence at the event, skepticism remains regarding the full repair of Anthropic's relationship with the administration. Sean O’Kane noted that the Defense Department continues to hold a strong view that Anthropic is "terrible and woke and a national security risk." Additionally, Emil Michael reportedly criticizes Anthropic frequently on X, according to TechCrunch.
Anthony Ha of TechCrunch highlighted internal divisions within the White House regarding Anthropic. While the Defense Department has expressed strong opposition, particularly concerning conditions Anthropic sought to place on the use of its technology, the Treasury Secretary has reportedly been a "big fan." Ha suggested that "nothing has necessarily changed" regarding these differing views within the administration, with some officials keen to use Anthropic's technology and others strongly against it.
Implications of the Non-Binding Pact
The "Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities" is voluntary and lacks legal enforceability. Anthony Ha commented that while the agreement itself "seems not super meaningful," the fact that such a gesture was deemed necessary by the administration is significant. He added that even if the agreement is unlikely to lead to major changes, the need for this kind of action is noteworthy, according to TechCrunch.
Kirsten Korosec reiterated that the central purpose of the events was a "rebranding exercise around AI." The shift from "artificial intelligence" to "super intelligence" appears to be an attempt to manage public perception and alleviate concerns about job displacement and potential risks associated with AI technology.
The discussions on TechCrunch's "Equity" podcast underscored a general skepticism among its hosts about the long-term impact of the non-binding pact. Sean O’Kane questioned how informed President Trump was about his own dinner with Dario Amodei, citing a recent Time magazine interview as a basis for this observation.
The administration's move to redefine AI and secure a non-binding commitment from industry leaders marks a notable development in its approach to governing and communicating about advanced technology. The efficacy of rebranding and voluntary pacts in addressing public concerns and industry responsibilities remains a subject of ongoing debate, according to TechCrunch.
