Trump rejects global AI rules and promotes ‘super intelligence’

15:30

The United States is signaling a shift in how it wants the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence to be described, with President Donald Trump promoting the expression “super intelligence” while rejecting broader international efforts to establish a common framework for managing the technology.

Speaking Tuesday before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump pushed back against calls for expanded global cooperation on artificial intelligence and the risks associated with its development. Rather than endorsing a worldwide regulatory approach, the US president emphasized a more nationally focused vision for a technology in which the United States has established itself as a leading power.

Trump challenges the idea of global AI governance

Artificial intelligence has increasingly become a subject of international debate, with governments seeking ways to address questions surrounding its development, security and potential risks. Discussions at the UN have included calls for greater coordination between countries as AI systems become more powerful and widespread.

Trump, however, rejected what he described as an attempt to create a “globalist” project for regulating the technology. His remarks placed the United States at a different position from initiatives centered on establishing common international rules.

The president’s comments underline Washington’s preference for maintaining national control over technological policy rather than transferring regulatory authority to a broader international framework.

A new label for a rapidly evolving technology

Trump also highlighted the terminology used to describe the technology itself, expressing a preference for the phrase “super intelligence” instead of the more widely established term “artificial intelligence.”

The change in wording reflects the administration’s emphasis on the accelerating capabilities of advanced computing systems. While “artificial intelligence” remains the standard expression used by governments, researchers and technology companies, Trump’s choice of language places greater emphasis on the possibility of increasingly sophisticated machine intelligence.

The United States at the center of the AI race

The debate comes as the United States seeks to maintain its position at the forefront of AI development. American technology companies and research institutions have played a major role in the expansion of generative AI and other advanced systems.

Trump’s UN remarks therefore combine two distinct messages: a push to reinforce American leadership in the sector and a rejection of a broad international project aimed at collectively regulating its development.

The contrast is likely to remain central to discussions over how governments should respond to the opportunities and risks created by increasingly advanced AI systems.