Trump says US will ban the term 'artificial intelligence' in official documents

The announcement

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, that the government will officially ban the term 'artificial intelligence' and the abbreviation AI in all relevant documents and elsewhere. He wrote the statement in a post on Truth Social, saying the term was inaccurate and calling it a very bad and incorrect name. He did not say when the measure would take effect.

Trump questioned why The Wall Street Journal does not yet use the term he prefers, which he said nearly everyone already uses or soon will. In the same post he said the newspaper should switch to the term 'SI' (superintelligence).

Earlier steps

In September, Trump signed an order requiring the use of the term SI in official government documents. The agreement he signed with technology company leaders on voluntary AI controls was titled the 'White House Agreements on Superintelligence'. Trump has argued that the word 'artificial' makes the technology seem fake, and he said the term 'superintelligence' was chosen after an online poll on his social media platform, where it beat 'higher intelligence' and 'extreme intelligence'.

“Using the word 'artificial' makes intelligence seem fake, makes it sound fake, and it is not fake. It is actually amazing.”

In early October, Trump said that anyone who continued to use the term 'artificial intelligence' instead of 'superintelligence' would be considered an enemy. Trump also said he would start calling media outlets 'artificial news' instead of 'fake news', though he had used both terms since then.

Wider context

The announcement follows Trump's September remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, where he made the same argument about the word 'artificial'. Earlier this month he also announced a Superintelligence Unit (SIF) led by the director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, to coordinate federal efforts so America stays ahead. Trump has opposed international AI regulation that he considers a threat to US competitiveness.

The issue has also entered the campaign ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November, where voters have raised concerns about electricity and water use by data centres. Critics of the AI race have warned that rapid development could lead to loss of control over the technology, a risk Trump does not share.

Limits of the order

Reports note that Trump's post did not explain how the ban would work, since he cannot legally prohibit private individuals, companies or media from using the term. Federal agencies and government databases already use the term, and Elon Musk has said he would rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI, according to reports. Major national media still use AI, which the Associated Press Stylebook lists as the appropriate term.