The concept of “super intelligence”, which US President Donald Trump has recently brought to the agenda, has started a new debate in the global technology race. In his post on his social media account the other day, Trump announced that the White House sees those who do not use the term “superintelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” as “enemies”. With the presidential decree signed by Trump on September 29, it was decided to use “Super Intelligence” (SI) instead of “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) in the official correspondence and public statements of federal executive agencies, to the extent permitted by law. The background of Washington’s move is the increasingly harsh technology competition with China.
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
The fear and uncertainty created by artificial intelligence in society have an important place in the Trump administration’s new approach. While concerns about unemployment, the security of personal data, the inability to control algorithms and that technology may go beyond human control are growing, Trump argues that the word “artificial” does not reflect the true potential of technology. Nvidia, Google, Meta, OpenAI and other technology giants are of critical importance in Washington’s new strategy. The Trump administration wants to evaluate the systems developed by these companies not only for economic growth, but also for national security, defense and scientific research.
THE TARGET IS CHINA
One of the most important strategic topics behind the super intelligence move is the technology competition between the USA and China. Advanced chips, data centers, high processing capacity and new generation artificial intelligence models are now among the fundamental elements of not only economic growth but also military and intelligence superiority. Washington wants to preserve the global leadership of American companies and gain an advantage against China’s advances in technology. It is stated that Trump’s new discourse presents this competition to the American public as a struggle for national supremacy. According to analysts The real race is not in the concepts used, but in the companies that develop the technology, the infrastructure that provides the processing power and the strategic production capacity.
INTELLIGENCE SHIELD
The Super Intelligence Task Force created by the Trump administration also shows that the issue is not only addressed with its economic dimension. Thus; The structure, chaired by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, includes high-level representatives of the Federal Trade Commission, the Pentagon and the federal administration. The task force aims to assess the technology’s potential impacts on cybersecurity, civil liberties, economic stability and national security. Thus, artificial intelligence goes beyond being the field of activity of companies in Silicon Valley and turns into one of the strategic issues that Washington directly follows.
CONTROL OR FREEDOM?
The biggest debate in Trump’s super intelligence policy is the balance between technological freedom and public security. Public opinion surveys in the USA reveal that a significant portion of citizens are concerned that artificial intelligence is not adequately regulated. In contrast, Washington pursues a policy that facilitates the development of companies, arguing that strict regulations can slow down technological innovation.
CAPACITY WILL BE DETERMINANT
According to experts; For Trump, the possible benefits of the super intelligence move combine into three main goals: Attracting technology investments to the American economy, strengthening his claim of strategic superiority against China, and turning the artificial intelligence revolution into the political success story of his administration. According to analysts, Trump’s “super intelligence” move is not just a name change, but an attempt to redefine the rules of the global technology race. While Washington opens up wider space for action to technology giants, it focuses on companies’ own control mechanisms rather than binding regulations. According to experts, the main factor that will determine superiority over China will be technological capacity and concrete progress, not political discourses.
