Trump Calls AI "Super Intelligence": Impact on Tech Stocks

US President Donald Trump announced on September 25, 2026, that China's President Xi Jinping has agreed to his initiative to henceforth refer to artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence." The announcement came one day after the state dinner for Xi at the White House on Thursday, September 25, 2026.

On the Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "Very productive meeting with President Xi for the USA and China. Tremendous things will happen. Like almost everyone else, he seemed to like renaming the poorly and inaccurately named artificial intelligence to a much more accurate and important name: SUPER INTELLIGENCE. That would be 'SUPER!'"

US Government Introduces New Term

Trump has instructed the US State Department to refer to AI in all official government documents and publications under the designation "Super Intelligence" or "SI." On September 24, 2026, before the meeting with Xi, Trump had already stated on Truth Social that "Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion," but he wanted to leave the technology regulatorily "exactly where it is."

The renaming is part of Trump's position that the current term "artificial intelligence" is inaccurate. He describes the new designation as "much more accurate and important."

Prominent Tech Executives at State Dinner

At the state dinner on September 25, 2026, numerous leading technology executives were present. According to research materials, attendees included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

The presence of these executives underscores the importance the Trump administration places on the technology sector. David Sacks, a venture capitalist, heads the AI policy of the government as chairman of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Rejection of All Regulation

Trump has repeatedly rejected calls from the US Congress for regulation of artificial intelligence. In public statements, he declared: "The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND INTELLIGENT (high IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the USA has that, in abundance."

Trump dismissed warnings about catastrophic AI risks as a "hoax." He characterized global oversight efforts as a "globalist conspiracy." His argument: the US cannot afford to give China—a key technology rival—a competitive advantage through regulation. Trump framed the AI competition as a zero-sum game, stating that whoever "wins AI, wins."

Xi Jinping Advocates for Human Control

China's President Xi Jinping took a notably more cautious tone than Trump on September 25, 2026. In his public address during the state visit, Xi stated that the United States and the People's Republic of China "have the ability and responsibility to develop AI for the greater good and ensure that AI always remains under human control and serves the well-being of the people."

This position emphasizes human oversight and alignment with the common good—a contrast to Trump's approach of minimal regulation.

Terminology Confusion in the Field

According to Axios, the term "superintelligence" already exists in the technology industry with its own technical definition. The term refers to advanced AI systems that surpass human intelligence in all relevant domains—a concept linked to discussions about AI safety and regulation.

Trump's political renaming collides with this established technical terminology. The field uses "superintelligence" precisely for those advanced AI systems whose regulation Trump rejects.

Market Reactions in Tech Stocks

Media reports from September 24 and 25, 2026, point to positive market reactions in the technology sector. CoinPaper reported on September 24, 2026, that Trump stated China agreed to leave "Super Intelligence" unregulated, paving the way for massive AI spending by Big Tech and market growth. RSWebSols reported on September 25, 2026, under the headline "Nvidia Soars as Trump-Xi Deal Boosts AI Chip Investment" about price gains attributed to the agreement.

The sources provide no specific stock price data or percentages. The Nasdaq Composite closed on September 25, 2026, at 27,068.72 points, up 0.48 percent from the previous day. The S&P 500 rose 0.51 percent to 7,743.41 points.

Competition with China as Guiding Principle

Trump's position on AI regulation is closely linked to his China policy. He argues that regulatory restrictions would disadvantage the US in the technology race with China. This competition rhetoric shapes his entire AI strategy and justifies his rejection of both national and international regulatory initiatives.

The agreement with Xi on shared terminology—while maintaining different regulatory approaches—reflects the complexity of US-China technology relations.