US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to use the term "Super Intelligence (SI)" instead of "Artificial Intelligence (AI)" in official communications and policy documents, while also overseeing a voluntary safety pledge signed by leading technology companies.

Trump announced the new measures after meeting executives from major technology firms at the White House, describing the terminology change as part of his administration's broader strategy to strengthen US leadership in advanced technologies and accelerate innovation.

The executive order requires federal agencies to adopt the term "Super Intelligence" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" in official documents. Speaking at the event, Trump argued that the word "artificial" creates the wrong impression, saying the technology represents advanced intelligence rather than something "fake" or artificial.

Technology companies sign voluntary safety pledge

Following the meeting, the White House unveiled a voluntary agreement known as the White House Super Intelligence Compact, under which major technology companies pledged to strengthen safety practices in developing advanced AI systems.

Among those signing the agreement were Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and xAI founder Elon Musk.

The agreement is not legally binding. Instead, participating companies committed to implementing robust internal safety measures, working with independent evaluators, regularly reviewing their security practices and improving oversight to ensure that advanced AI systems function as intended.

The White House said the voluntary commitments could serve as the basis for future legislation or regulatory measures if additional safeguards are deemed necessary.

Trump backs industry-led oversight

Trump argued that the rapid development of AI should not be unnecessarily restricted, saying innovation should continue while companies assume greater responsibility for ensuring the technology is developed safely.

He said technology firms should establish effective self-regulation mechanisms and cooperate more closely to identify and address potential risks before they become widespread.

Reuters reported that the administration also introduced America.gov, a new AI-powered government platform designed to improve public access to federal information and services, and indicated that an advisory body on advanced AI technologies could be established in the future.

The meeting took place amid continuing debate in the United States over whether stronger regulations are needed to govern rapidly advancing AI technologies. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted in September found that 73 per cent of respondents believe AI companies are not doing enough to prevent their technologies from causing serious harm.

The Trump administration has continued to promote increased investment in artificial intelligence and faster technological development. An executive order signed in June also called for strengthening US leadership in AI innovation and accelerating the adoption of the technology across both the public and private sectors.(ILKHA)