President Donald Trump mounted a staunch defense of American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, rejecting international governance proposals and mandating a federal shift in how the government terms the technology.
Addressing world leaders in New York, the president dismissed concerns surrounding the potential risks of AI, characterizing warnings about the technology’s disruptive capabilities as a “hoax.” He argued that imposing strict regulatory frameworks or international oversight would stifle American innovation, potentially allowing foreign adversaries to surge ahead in the rapidly accelerating technology arms race.
“The United States totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control artificial intelligence,” Trump declared, insisting that existing domestic authorities, such as the Department of Justice, are fully equipped to address potential safety concerns without impeding industrial momentum. “We’re leading now over China by a lot and everyone else, and we’re going to keep it that way. I’m not going to stifle growth of anything that’s going to be bigger than the Industrial Revolution.”
In a notable rhetorical departure from global standards, Trump also called for the immediate retirement of the term “artificial intelligence.” Asserting that the word “artificial” incorrectly implies something “fake,” the president announced that all official U.S. government documentation will henceforth adopt the term “Super Intelligence” (SI).
“It is not fake, it’s actually amazing,” Trump said. “From this point forward, all United States documents and hopefully the world’s will be changed to use the much more accurate term, super, as opposed to artificial. In other words, welcome to the new world of super intelligence — SI.”
[Two top Congressional progressives officially introduced legislation Wednesday aimed at halting the development of artificial “superintelligence” and imposing sweeping oversight on the tech sector. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), authored the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act to establish a Cabinet-level agency tasked with regulating advanced AI models before they pose existential risks to public safety and national security.The proposal marks the culmination of weeks of teasing from the lawmakers, who have intensified their calls for strict federal controls following a surge in high-profile cyberattacks and dire warnings from prominent industry insiders. By creating a dedicated regulatory body, the bill signals a aggressive push by Capitol Hill progressives to construct guardrails around a rapidly evolving technology that they argue poses unprecedented challenges to American society.]
The president’s sharp posture against global governance stands in direct contrast to recent multilateral efforts. On Monday, 22 nations at the UN General Assembly endorsed a joint declaration affirming that AI systems “must remain under human direction, oversight and control,” proposing the creation of an international supervisory regime to mitigate systemic risks.
Organizers of the declaration, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, argued that establishing baseline guardrails serves the mutual interests of both Washington and Beijing. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to address AI risks at the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
The push for international guardrails comes amid heightened anxiety within the tech sector, amplified by recent warnings from former industry researchers regarding existential risks to humanity.
While technical experts traditionally reserve “superintelligence” to describe theoretical systems that far surpass human cognitive abilities, Trump’s call to rebrand all current iteration models underscores his administration’s emphasis on national prestige and market power.
The remarks set a contentious tone ahead of high-stakes diplomacy scheduled for later this week in Washington, where Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive for a state visit.
The rapid advancement and geopolitical leverage of AI are anticipated to top the agenda between the two leaders as Washington resists global regulation in favor of unchecked economic and technological leadership.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres offered a strikingly different tone before Trump’s comments. He issued a clarion call for international controls on AI, cautioning that global leaders must “advance the conditions for the responsible pacing of AI and the additional safeguards needed to address risks.”
In response to growing anxiety over the rapid, unregulated expansion of automated systems, the UN Security Council is scheduled to convene Wednesday to debate binding guardrails and policy frameworks. The high-level briefing will gather top industry leaders, tech executives, and policy experts to evaluate the security implications of advanced AI models.
Diplomats and AI pioneers expected at the session will tackle critical issues, including the proliferation of deepfakes, automated warfare, and the potential disruption of global economic stability. Security Council members aim to establish foundational international consensus on oversight mechanisms before military and geopolitical applications outpace legislative capacity.
