Trump Frames Superintelligence Around National Security and Manufacturing
Recently, U.S. President Trump has actively promoted replacing "artificial intelligence" with "superintelligence" in official discourse, to highlight U.S. leadership in the field and link it to national security and domestic manufacturing growth. The position has been reiterated through executive orders and policy speeches and is seen as part of the White House's technology policy messaging strategy. The move is not just a change of wording, but involves reframing the development of artificial intelligence across regulation, investment and industry narratives, thereby influencing market perceptions of U.S. technology leadership and setting the tone for companies to follow.
Meta and Tesla Shift in Earnings Calls
Earlier this week, Meta CEO Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Musk both adopted the term "superintelligence" in their respective third-quarter earnings calls, drawing market attention. Zuckerberg's wording differed from the company's consistent past use of "artificial intelligence" or "AI." Tesla reported better-than-expected third-quarter results, with Musk emphasizing the company's autonomous driving capabilities and using the term "superintelligence," in line with Trump's recent rhetoric. Musk has long publicly supported the Trump administration's approach to regulating artificial intelligence development, while Zuckerberg has continued to repair relations with the White House, especially after years of tension over content moderation and antitrust issues, with the shift seen as a signal of close ties with the White House.
Microsoft, Google and Amazon Stick to Original Term
In contrast, the CEOs of Microsoft, Google and Amazon maintained the traditional "artificial intelligence" wording in their respective earnings calls. This shows a clear divide between Trump's closest tech allies and the broader industry. Industry observers worry that politicization of artificial intelligence terminology could create confusion in technology and investment communities and complicate international cooperation and academic exchange. The reason is that "artificial intelligence" remains the standard term in research papers, product specifications and financial models, and if corporate discourse diverges from academic and market standards, it could increase communication costs and interpretation gaps, while raising attention over whether more companies will take sides.
Huge Infrastructure Bets Carry Strong Alliance Signal
Both tech giants have invested huge sums in artificial intelligence. SpaceX recently raised 40 billion U.S. dollars through debt financing to purchase graphics processing units for building artificial intelligence infrastructure. Meta has also launched a 95 billion U.S. dollar stock issuance plan specifically to fund its AI supercomputer race and the development of general artificial intelligence. Analysts note that Musk's and Zuckerberg's adoption of Trump's "superintelligence" terminology is not just a language preference, but marks a public alignment of the tech world's most influential figures with the White House messaging strategy. As both companies invest heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure and face regulatory scrutiny, their alignment with the president's rhetoric reveals how political relationships are reshaping the tech industry's vocabulary.