US Treasury Pushes to Rename AI as "Super Intelligence" Globally

What happened

US Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Erin Browne told Reuters in an interview on Oct. 15 that the United States is negotiating with other IMF shareholders to have the statement being drafted by the fund's steering committee, the IMFC, use the term "super intelligence" rather than "artificial intelligence".

President Trump has been really clear on this, and he's using the term SI, and I think it's a clear priority for the US to use that term, and we think that more appropriately encapsulates the technology at hand.

— Erin Browne, US Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs

Browne said the United States, which holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 major economies, wanted the change to take hold internationally as well. She declined to comment on whether Washington would refuse to sign off on the statement unless the switch was made, saying negotiations were still underway.

A source familiar with the matter said US officials had suggested during meetings on the IMFC statement that they would insist on the new language, raising eyebrows among some other IMFC members. If Washington withholds its support for a consensus statement, the current IMFC chair, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, could still issue a so-called chair's statement summarizing the views of the members.

Key facts

1. Who is pushing it: US Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs Erin Browne, disclosed in a Reuters interview on Oct. 15
2. The goal: Use "super intelligence" in the IMFC draft statement; the US also wants the change to take hold internationally at the G20 level
3. Background: Last month, Trump directed US government agencies to use "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence"
4. Key date: The IMFC will hold a news conference on Saturday (Oct. 17), led by Saudi Finance Minister Al-Jadaan and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, to release any agreed statement
5. Fallback option: A source said one possibility might involve skipping mentions of SI or AI and focusing on "new technology" instead

Background

Last month, Trump directed US government agencies to use the words "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" when referring to the technology. Browne said Washington believes the new moniker better reflects the technology, adding that "many countries are looking to the US to set the standards".