President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 22, that the U.S. rejects a global effort to control artificial intelligence (AI) and that U.S. government documents would begin referring to the technology as "super intelligence" [1].
Trump said the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake, according to his address in New York City on Tuesday [1]. "It's not fake. It's actually amazing. We have to be careful," Trump said, according to the BBC [1].
He also used the address to announce the terminology change, saying, "Welcome to the new world of super intelligence - SI," during his speech [1]. The address came as Trump hosted a security pact signing between the United States, Denmark and Greenland during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly [1].
Trump Casts AI as National Competition
"Whoever wins AI – whoever wins super intelligence – wins," Trump said, framing development as competition among nations [2]. "I'm not going to stifle growth of something that will be bigger than the Industrial Revolution," he added [2]. He said his administration would be careful and that U.S. law enforcement and the Department of Justice would rein in the industry if necessary [2].
Trump compared warnings that AI could threaten humanity to claims he attributed to climate activists that global warming would kill everyone within 12 years. He said the people making those warnings were "the same group of people" saying AI could destroy humanity [2].
Trump's comments followed his recent announcement of the creation of an "AI Force" and plans to appoint an AI czar, doubling down on rapid AI development while dismissing warnings from technology executives that powerful systems pose existential threats to humanity [3]. The announcement, posted on Truth Social, comes as global fears over AI safety escalate and as the U.S. and China compete for dominance in a sector Trump described as potentially accounting for 25% of the economy [3].
Guterres Urges International AI Safeguards
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres used his final address to urge world leaders to establish international safeguards for AI before rapidly advancing technology risks the loss of human control [2]. "Killer robots must have no place in our future," said Guterres, who took office in January 2017 and whose final term will end Dec. 31 [2].
Guterres said AI has moved at a speed that "has blindsided even those who created it." He said, "AI is indeed a game changer – with enormous promise to advance medicine, accelerate scientific discovery, expand opportunity and improve lives. Make no mistake. The danger is not technology. The danger is technology without accountability: Capability without oversight. Decision-making without transparency. And that danger cannot be minimized. The very developers building these systems are now pulling the alarm" [2].
Guterres also said that the countries leading this technological revolution have to share what they know about emerging safety risks [2]. His remarks echoed warnings from former OpenAI employee Leopold Aschenbrenner, who projected in a June 2024 report that artificial general intelligence could become prominent by 2027 and urged American leaders to prepare for the emergence of superintelligence [2][4].
Terminology Change Draws Questions
Trump questioned whether he was powerful enough to make the terminology change stick. "Let's see if I have any power," he said. "Maybe I do and maybe I don't. We're gonna find out pretty soon. … The United States leads the world in super intelligence and will continue to do so safely and responsibly" [1].
Experts have told the BBC that the rebrand is unlikely to gain widespread traction in the industry because it is atypical [1]. The term "superintelligence" already has an established technical meaning referring to an intellect that surpasses human cognitive performance, and some people close to the president have started to use the new term [1].
Trump said Americans have never been a nation that shrinks from a frontier [1]. The debate over terminology comes as billionaire Bill Gates has called for an international organization to police AI, warning that no government on earth is ready for it [5][6].
AI Governance Debate Continues
Trump's address followed Guterres' call for international safeguards, setting up contrasting positions on AI oversight [1]. Trump rejected global controls and promoted U.S. leadership in "super intelligence," while Guterres warned of capability without oversight [1].
No binding international action was reported from the UN session [1]. The debate over AI governance and safety risks is expected to continue among world leaders and technology developers, with public interest in AI development shown by the viral response to recent warnings from industry researchers [7][8].
The broader context of AI development includes ongoing legal and ethical debates. A May 2021 project report by the U.K. Ministry of Defense, in partnership with the German Bundeswehr Office for Defense Planning, highlighted a dystopian cybernetics future that global technocrats are pushing mankind toward, focusing on human augmentation as key to winning future wars [9]. Meanwhile, UN analysis has admitted that AI is driving wealth into the hands of a relative few elite companies and entities, with geopolitical and geoeconomic implications [10].
References
- BBC. "Will Trump's AI rebrand as 'super intelligence' catch on?". September 23, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "OpenAI whistleblower speaks out on the rise of superintelligence and international safety concerns". NaturalNews.com. June 24, 2024.
- NaturalNews.com. "Trump announces 'AI Force' as industry leaders warn of unchecked risks". September 21, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "AI Capabilities Accelerate Toward Superintelligence, Raising Concerns Over Control". May 18, 2026.
- ZeroHedge. "Bill Gates Calls For Globalist Crackdown On AI". September 17, 2026.
- Modernity News. "Bill Gates Calls For GLOBALIST Crackdown On AI". September 16, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Bernie Sanders introduces AI censorship bill that JAILS innovators creating systems that empower the people with decentralized knowledge". September 16, 2026.
- The Epoch Times. "Researcher's Warning That AI Could Destroy Humanity Spurs Lawmakers to Call for Immediate Action". September 9, 2026.
- Mercola.com. "The Reckless March Toward Transhumanism". Mercola.com. February 14, 2022.
- Trends-Journal-2024-10-01. "Trends-Journal-2024-10-01".
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