Trump’s Crazy AI Rebrand Was a Loyalty Test for Tech Execs—and It Worked
President Trump issued an executive order mandating that the term 'artificial intelligence' be replaced with 'Super Intelligence' in government and industry discourse. Tech executives faced criticism for complying with the rebranding, which the author frames as a test of political loyalty.
Why it matters
The incident illustrates the intersection of political power and the tech industry, highlighting the influence of executive mandates on corporate identity and language.
Well, not everyone. Somehow, President Donald J. Trump developed a distaste for the term, and when he doesn’t like something, he feels free to issue an edict against it. In a September 23 speech at the United Nations, he hinted that he might want to do away with the term “artificial intelligence.” His rant seemed like bluster, even for someone with a penchant for renaming gulfs, lakes, and centers for the arts. Renaming an entire field of study and America’s most pivotal industry? This week, at a White House lunch with top AI leaders, he actually pulled the trigger with an executive order declaring that “artificial intelligence” was now a verboten coinage. Instead, the government will call it “Super Intelligence.” Clearly the president expects the private sector to follow suit.
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