Trump's Odd Poll Asks America to Rename AI

Here's what happened. President Trump posted a poll asking the public to choose a new label for AI, offering three options: "Superior Intelligence," "Supreme Intelligence," or "Extreme Intelligence." He paired the poll with a follow-up post calling fears about AI doom a "hoax." A writer on the community blog LessWrong then argued that people who worry about AI safety should actually go vote, because whoever wins gets to shape the everyday vocabulary Americans use for the technology.

Why does a name matter so much? Because labels quietly carry arguments. "Superior Intelligence" implies AI is smarter than us but still something we manage — a tool that outpaces us. "Supreme Intelligence" implies it's in charge by definition, the boss, which sounds final and scary (and a bit like a comic-book villain). "Extreme Intelligence" avoids ranking AI above humans entirely, and sounds more like extreme weather — dangerous, but something you can prepare for. The blogger thinks "Superior" is the most hopeful option, and it was narrowly winning.

The catch is real, though. This is a small internet poll from a niche corner of the internet, not a national referendum. A few thousand votes won't actually change how most people talk. Researchers already have a settled term — "ASI," short for artificial superintelligence — and everyday people mostly just say "AI." Meanwhile, Trump's own follow-up dismissing AI doom as a hoax undercuts the dramatic names he's offering. So the contest says more about online debate culture than about policy.

Still, language is how societies decide what to fear and what to fund. If "supreme intelligence" starts appearing in headlines, campaigns, and laws, it frames AI as a rival rather than a product — which could push toward tougher rules, more public anxiety, or both. Watching which word wins is a small but telling signal of where the conversation is heading.