Check your subscription status, update your details and more. The roots of AI fear in the West are cultural, not technological Popular conceptions of AI differ drastically between the US and China. Columnist Annalee Newitz dives into the cultural, religious and sci-fi factors driving our impressions of its power Donald Trump declared that AI should now be called “super intelligence” In a year of increasingly wild rhetoric about AI in the US, perhaps the most memorable moment came last month, when President Donald Trump issued an executive order stating that the technology would no longer be known as “artificial”.
Instead, it would be “super”. He followed up with a message to followers on his Truth Social platform, writing that his administration considers anyone who uses the term “artificial intelligence” rather than “super intelligence” as “THE ENEMY”. Though it might sound like the president is founding a state techno-religion, his wording reflects an idea that has been floating around Silicon Valley for years.
The idea of “super intelligence” was popularised in the eponymous book by philosopher Nick Bostrom, who predicted that SI would evolve alongside a class of humans who are much smarter than their peers. These new (super) humans will rule over their inferiors, Bostrom suggested, while SI rules over everyone. Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox.
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