Can ‘super intelligence’ and a non-binding safety pact solve AI’s image problem?

President Donald Trump recently hosted a gathering of leading artificial intelligence (AI) experts in the United States. The purpose of the meeting was to replace the term "artificial intelligence" with "super intelligence" in official government communications. This change was part of a broader announcement regarding AI safety.

During the TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O'Kane, and the reporter discussed the significance of the meeting and its impact on the AI industry. However, the group was skeptical about the "Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities" that the executives signed, as it is "deeply non-binding" from a legal standpoint. Trump, on the other hand, considered it "morally binding."

Kirsten suggested that the meeting may have been more significant in terms of rebranding AI than in making substantive changes to AI policy. The rebranding effort emphasized that AI is "going to kill us, it's scary, it is going to take jobs, but super intelligence is not."

The reporter noted that the atmosphere at the event contrasted sharply with the previous stance of President Trump, who had previously expressed skepticism about the need for AI regulation. Two weeks prior, Trump had been quoted as saying, "We don't need any of this, we need to lead in AI, we can't constrain it in any way, we don't need any regulation, anyone who's saying that there's any danger from AI is essentially a Chinese or Democratic plant."

Despite these earlier statements, the AI CEOs who attended the meeting signed the commitment. This shift in position raises questions about the true intentions behind the agreement and its potential impact on the AI industry.