Will replacing one term with the other create confusion and a semantic barrier at a time when clarity is necessary? And can the industry “self police”?

President Donald Trump made two AI-related announcements yesterday. In the first, he used an executive order to rename “artificial intelligence” as “super intelligence.” This means government agencies can “no longer acknowledge” the terms “artificial intelligence” and “AI,” according to the White House. Whether each of the tech CEOs will follow suit remains to be seen, but at a time when communication about safety standards is paramount, it seems counterintuitive to create a semantic barrier that could create confusion among global players using the most basic terminology.

Up until now, “superintelligence” (or artificial superintelligence/ASI) was a term used for a future, hypothetical phase of AI in which recursive, self-improving superintelligence exceeds human cognitive capabilities.

The disconnect between Washington’s understanding of the technology in relation to what the industry knows is confusing, as is the plan for each company present during the announcement. Does each plan to rebrand accordingly? 

As for the Joint Commitment On Frontier Responsibilities, a voluntary framework among the administration and CEOs, there is said to be four layers of controls and both internal and external audits for ensuring AI models operate as intended. It also calls for reviews by each company’s board of directors.

Because the framework is “morally binding,” not “legally binding,” there will be no legal penalties or fines for any non-compliance. In fact, Trump has many times this week rejected the idea of federal laws or international agreements, stating that existing laws are sufficient. In his view, and that of others in the industry, avoiding heavy-handed, Congressionally approved laws helps AI leaders maintain the agility needed to rapidly adapt to whatever threats emerge. By forging a collaborative relationship between tech leaders and the executive branch, Trump believes the framework will act as a “constitution” for monitoring advanced systems. 

After the announcements, a press conference was held, and Zuckerberg, Amodei, and Musk made comments, which you can find in the below links:

Zuckerberg after the meeting. Amodei after the meeting. Musk after the meeting.