US President says he will ban the term 'artificial intelligence'
A report that the U.S. president plans to “ban” the term “artificial intelligence” in favor of “super intelligence” and has ordered the federal government to adopt the new label is prompting sharp reactions. Commenters question the legal limits of such a move under the First Amendment, frame it as symbolic politics, propaganda, or a loyalty test, and worry about de facto compelled speech if funding or policy is tied to the new terminology. Many also ridicule the “super intelligence” branding as technically inaccurate and politically motivated, seeing it as a distraction from more substantive economic and governance problems.
Reaction to the Renaming / Ban Idea
- Many see banning the term “Artificial Intelligence” and mandating “Super Intelligence (SI)” as absurd, unserious, or “old man yells at cloud” behavior.
- Several note that the president cannot legally ban a term in general usage, only direct executive-branch language.
- Some expect the policy to be short‑lived and reversed by the next administration.
Free Speech, Power, and Compelled Language
- Commenters highlight First Amendment limits: the government cannot outlaw a term, but it can pressure via funding and internal mandates.
- Concern that tying federal research funding to use of “SI” would create de facto compelled speech and chill research.
- Others argue U.S. constitutional protections are only as strong as the will to enforce them and can erode under power abuse.
Motives, Politics, and Distraction
- Some frame this as a deliberate distraction from economic problems (inflation, diesel prices, poor sentiment) and other controversies.
- Others see it as a loyalty test or shibboleth: who adopts “SI” marks themselves as aligned.
- There is sharp disagreement over whether this reflects strategic “genius,” cognitive decline, or simple megalomania.
Debate over “AI” vs “SI” Terminology
- Several argue “artificial” correctly denotes man‑made systems and does not imply weakness.
- Others have long felt “AI” is a misnomer, but also reject “super intelligence” as even more inaccurate or grandiose.
- Some note other language equivalents (“synthetic,” “artificial”) and joke about alternative expansions (e.g., “Automated Stupidity”).
Tech, ASI Risk, and Propaganda
- A side discussion explores LessWrong-style fears of superintelligence, including economic “slow takeoff” scenarios where powerful systems gain control via capitalist structures.
- Some see the renaming push as part of tech‑billionaire influence and propaganda to sell data centers and LLMs to the political base.
Humor, Satire, and Renaming Everything
- The thread is filled with jokes about renaming states, oceans, days of the week, and agencies, with 1984 and fascism analogies.
- Users mock the term “super intelligence” by proposing parodic backronyms and dystopian expansions.