US Justice Department tells staff to say 'superintelligence' instead of AI

US President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order telling federal agencies to swap the term "artificial intelligence" for "superintelligence," saying the new name better reflects the potential of this fast-growing technology.

According to a memo seen by Reuters, the US Department of Justice then instructed its staff in a directive signed by acting deputy attorney general Trent McCotter. In external communications, policy documents, official records, and even court filings, staff should replace AI with "superintelligence" and its abbreviation "SI" to the maximum extent allowed by law.

After a series of recent hacking incidents, public opinion on the technology has turned negative, and its safety risks have raised many questions. Trump has been reluctant to roll out new regulations for the technology, but said the Justice Department will rein it in if truly necessary.