US Treasury pushes global partners to rename AI as ‘super intelligence’

The United States is urging its global partners to adopt the term "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" when discussing the emerging technology, according to a top US Treasury official. Treasury undersecretary for international affairs Erin Browne revealed that Washington is in discussions with other shareholders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about incorporating the new term into a statement being prepared by the fund's steering committee, the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC).

President Donald Trump directed government agencies to use the term "super intelligence" in place of "artificial intelligence" last month. The US, currently presiding over the Group of 20 major economies, aims for the change to become widespread internationally as well. While Browne declined to comment on the possibility of Washington refusing to endorse the statement unless the terminology change is made, a source familiar with the matter suggested that US officials had hinted at insisting on the new language during recent IMFC meetings, which might provoke opposition from some members.

If the United States withdraws its support for a consensus statement, the current chair of the IMFC, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, could issue a chair's statement summarizing the views of the members, potentially omitting references to "super intelligence" or "artificial intelligence" and instead focusing on "new technology."

The IMFC will release its final statement at a news conference on Saturday, chaired by Al-Jadaan and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.