Trump renames AI 'super intelligence' at UN Assembly as leaders jostle over dangers

United Nations: President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US government will rename artificial intelligence to "superintelligence" in official communications, amid concerns over the rapidly advancing technology. AI has been a major topic at the UN General Assembly following incidents of human control loss and warnings from company insiders.

Speaking at the assembly, Trump defended his stance against regulating AI, claiming the term "artificial" did not accurately represent the technology and hoped others would adopt the new term. The rebranding is part of a series of name changes by the Trump administration, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" and Lake Ontario to "Lake America."

Trump compared AI safety advocates' warnings to climate change warnings, stating the US rejected any attempt to create a global scheme to control AI. Ahead of the UN assembly, leaders from over 20 European countries called for binding safety measures for advanced AI, warning that its development could outpace control capabilities.

China and the US, major AI superpowers, did not endorse the idea. Prime Minister Andy Burnham of Britain pledged to establish global AI standards during his country's 2027 G20 presidency and announced an AI defense partnership with Washington to detect cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. French President Emmanuel Macron proposed building AI technology independently from the great powers, emphasizing the need for pooled investment capabilities to create an open-source AI model.

US-based AI giants are also pushing for global coordination on AI safety, with OpenAI's Sam Altman set to address the UN Security Council and other AI experts participating remotely. UN chief Antonio Guterres urged the US and China to initiate a dialogue on AI's future, akin to US-Soviet engagement during the Cold War, emphasizing the need for shared responsibility to address existential risks.