President Donald Trump has entered the ongoing debate surrounding artificial intelligence safety by suggesting a rebrand of the technology and promising the creation of a new military-style branch dedicated to AI development. In a move characteristic of his rhetorical style, Trump dismissed recent safety concerns as a political fabrication.
On Saturday, the President took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to argue that the term “Artificial Intelligence” is both inaccurate and “very ineloquent.” He invited followers to vote on three alternative names: Superior Intelligence, Extreme Intelligence, or Supreme Intelligence. The poll remains open at the time of publication.
Shortly after the naming initiative, Trump expanded his criticism of AI regulation efforts, labeling them part of a broader campaign by Democrats to undermine the nation. He grouped these concerns with other issues he has previously characterized as hoaxes, including the Russia investigation, global warming alarms, impeachment proceedings, and debates over transgender rights and men’s sports.
Trump asserted that he would not permit the “decimation” of the sector. He claimed the opposition movement originated with attacks on data centers, suggesting critics only shifted their focus to AI after realizing the economic prestige these facilities bring to their host communities. He characterized the data center protests as largely failed before moving to target AI itself.
The President provided no evidence to substantiate his claim that opposition to AI and data centers is insincere or organically manufactured. In reality, regulatory pushback has crossed party lines; New York recently became the first state to suspend permits for large-scale data center projects, joining criticism from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers.
This online activity mirrors comments Trump made over the weekend at a golf tournament, where he expressed openness to certain “guardrails” while arguing that negative forces are improperly amplifying risks associated with the technology.
Despite the rhetoric against regulation, Trump committed to supporting the industry’s expansion. He announced the formation of an “AI Force,” modeled after the Space Force established during his first term. Additionally, he hinted at an upcoming appointment of an AI “Czar,” specifying that only individuals with “High I.Q.” need apply.
Details regarding the specific duties of the AI Force or the new czar role were not provided. The position of AI and crypto czar was previously held by venture capitalist David Sacks, who stepped down earlier this year to co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
The President’s comments come amid intensifying discourse on AI safety following revelations from an Anthropic researcher who cited existential risks as his reason for leaving the company. The researcher alleged that leading firms believe AI could cause mass casualties by the end of the decade. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei subsequently proposed a plan to “pace the frontier,” a strategy reportedly endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. However, critics argue that focusing on hypothetical existential threats distracts from more immediate societal harms caused by the technology.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also weighed in on the controversy, appearing on stage at the All-In Summit, which is co-hosted by Sacks. Huang agreed with Trump’s assessment that the backlash is a hoax and vowed that the industry would prevent any slowdown in development.
Trump loves a rebrand, but ‘Supreme Intelligence’ sounds like something from a bad sci-fi movie, not policy.
Another Force, another Czar. Can someone explain exactly what the AI Force will actually do yet?
I’m surprised they’re calling existential risk a hoax. The Anthropic researcher’s departure wasn’t a political stunt.
A name poll? Really? This feels like a distraction from the real safety issues researchers are raising.