KEY POINTS
• Trump says the US government will use “super intelligence” instead of artificial intelligence in official communications.
• He rejects attempts to establish global controls on AI and maintains his opposition to regulation.
• More than 20 mostly European countries are calling for binding safety measures for advanced AI.
• Guterres is urging the US and China to establish dialogue on the technology.
MAIN STORY
US President Donald Trump has announced plans for the US government to refer to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence” in official communications, as world leaders debate how to respond to the risks associated with rapidly advancing AI.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Trump defended his opposition to regulating the technology and argued that describing it as “artificial” failed to capture its capabilities.
“Super Intelligence ‘sounds much better’ and ‘it’s much more accurate,’” he said, expressing hope that other countries would adopt the new terminology.
AI has become a major subject at the UN gathering following incidents involving technology apparently moving beyond human control and warnings from company insiders that have fuelled calls for greater government supervision.
Trump rejected those calls, saying the US would not support attempts to establish a global framework for controlling AI.
“The United States totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control… artificial intelligence,” he said.
He also compared warnings from AI safety advocates with earlier warnings about climate change.
“Every major new technology brings challenges, and superintelligence is no exception,” Trump said.
“The very same people who said we’ll all be dead in 12 years because of global warming… are now saying that AI is going to kill us all, that robots are going to attack us, and that everything is going to be a total disaster.”
The Trump administration’s proposed terminology change follows other renamings pursued by the US government, including its change of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” through an executive order last year. In August, Lake Ontario was also renamed “Lake America” amid a trade dispute with Canada.
While the US opposes the push for stronger international controls, more than 20 countries, mostly European, have called for binding safety measures for advanced AI. The countries warned that the technology could develop faster than the ability of governments to control it.
China and the United States did not endorse the proposal.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on the sidelines of the UN meeting that Britain would use its role as host of the Group of 20 next year to promote a common international approach to AI.
Burnham said he planned to push for a “single set of global principles and standards” around the technology, according to Bloomberg.
French President Emmanuel Macron also called for countries to develop AI capabilities that are not dependent on the major powers.
“I don’t want anyone to become the vassal of one of the great powers,” Macron told the General Assembly, apparently referring to China and the US.
He proposed pooling investment to develop an open source AI model that could be shared internationally.
The debate has also drawn increasing calls for coordination from major AI companies. OpenAI chief Sam Altman is scheduled to address the UN Security Council on Wednesday, while Anthropic chief Dario Amodei and Hugging Face co founder Clement Delangue are expected to participate remotely, according to a French official.
France, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, initiated the meeting, saying the implications of AI for international peace and security had not received sufficient attention at the UN.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has meanwhile called on the US and China to establish dialogue over the future of AI, comparing the proposed engagement with communication between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War.
“Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue,” Guterres said.
“At a pivotal moment during the Cold War, strategic rivals came to recognize the need to manage shared existential risks.”
China and the US are currently discussing the creation of a communication channel for AI concerns ahead of a Washington summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.
THE ISSUES
- The disagreement at the UN centres on whether advanced AI should be subject to binding international safety measures. More than 20 mostly European countries have backed such measures, while the US and China have not endorsed the proposal.
- The debate also extends to technological dependence. Macron has proposed pooling investment to develop an open source AI model that countries could share rather than relying on the major AI powers.
- The role of the US and China is central to discussions about AI governance because both countries have major AI capabilities. Guterres has called for dialogue between them to address shared risks.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“The United States totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control… artificial intelligence,” – Donald Trump, US President
“I don’t want anyone to become the vassal of one of the great powers,” – Emmanuel Macron, French President
“Governments with the greatest AI capabilities have the greatest responsibilities to humanity, to establish channels for dialogue,” – Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General
WHAT’S NEXT
Burnham is expected to use Britain’s Group of 20 presidency next year to push for global principles and standards on AI.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss AI on Wednesday, with Altman, Amodei and Delangue expected to participate.
The US and China are also discussing a communication channel for AI concerns ahead of the planned meeting between Trump and Xi.
BOTTOM LINE
Trump is rejecting international efforts to impose stronger controls on AI while European countries push for binding safety measures. At the same time, governments and UN officials are pursuing greater international coordination, particularly between the US and China.
