Trump tries to rename AI 'super intelligence' as polls show him sinking on key issue

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he signed a document purporting to "officially" change the name of artificial intelligence to "super intelligence," attempting a forced rebrand for an industry he has tightly embraced even as Americans grow increasingly concerned about the rapidly advancing tech.

Trump, speaking to reporters on the White House grounds while flanked by tech executives, suggested that a document asserting the new name was signed by the leaders of a slew of AI and tech giants, who had convened there for a lunch meeting with the president.

"We've changed the name officially today," Trump said. He was not initially expected to appear at the unusual press gathering outside the White House's West Wing. "The name has been officially changed by the biggest, the smartest, the greatest people anywhere in the world."

Asked if the document was binding in any way, Trump said it is "morally binding."

Specifics about the document were unclear. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for additional information.

Trump had crowdsourced a new name for AI last week, asking his social media followers in a poll if they preferred "SUPER INTELLIGENCE" or "SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."

It's the latest attempted name-change for Trump, who has focused intently on branding throughout his careers in business and politics. During the latest flare-up in the U.S.'s ailing relations with Canada last month, Trump signed an executive order asserting Lake Ontario would be renamed "Lake America."

He pulled a similar move right after taking office last year, when he signed an order that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the "Gulf of America."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who was also at Tuesday's luncheon, told reporters before Trump showed up that attendees signed a "statement of principles" titled "The White House Accord on Superintelligence: A Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities."

Summarizing the document, he said it includes "voluntary" commitments "on behalf of the industry," as well as "robust internal controls" and "layers of internal and external review."

"Safety and innovation are not mutually exclusive pursuits," Johnson said.

But Trump, when asked why people should not be concerned about AI and why there should not be government-mandated safety guardrails, said, "Because we have people that love our country and love the world a lot."

Trump also shrugged when asked if he was concerned that his support for AI and data centers could hurt Republicans in the upcoming midterm election.

"I just have to do what's right," he said.

Johnson said GOP incumbents are in agreement that the U.S. cannot lose its edge over China in the race for AI dominance.

Recent polls show majorities of Americans expressing fear and concern about AI and disapproval of Trump's handling of the issue.

A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier Tuesday afternoon found just 25% of respondents approve of the president's handling of AI, versus 58% who disapprove. That's a lower approval rating than Trump scored on the Iran war (28%), the economy (31%) and U.S.-China policy (34%) in the same poll. The survey was conducted Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 and carries a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

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