President Donald Trump’s push to rename artificial intelligence as ‘super intelligence’ is raising questions over a voluntary safety pact signed by major AI companies. The agreement has also sparked debate over whether the industry can improve its public image.
Trump hosted several leading AI executives this week as the US administration promoted the new terminology. The meeting also produced the ‘Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities,’ a voluntary agreement focused on AI safety.
TechCrunch’s Equity podcast examined the meeting and the agreement. Participants questioned how much practical impact the pact could have since it does not carry legal obligations. Sean O’Kane described the agreement as ‘deeply non-binding,’ and Trump called it ‘morally binding.’ The document also drew attention after reportedly misspelling ‘United States.’
The meeting brought together executives including Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Amodei’s appearance came as his company faced tensions with the Trump administration and the Defense Department.
The wider discussion focused on how the administration is presenting AI to the public. Under a presidential executive order, official US representatives are expected to use ‘super intelligence’ rather than ‘artificial intelligence.’ Kirsten Korosec said the meeting could be viewed as ‘a rebranding effort around AI.’ She described the intended message as, ‘AI is going to kill us, it’s scary, it is going to take jobs, but super intelligence is not.’
The shift comes as concerns over AI safety, regulation and job disruption continue to shape public debate. Participants questioned whether changing the terminology can address those concerns.
The safety pact may carry more symbolic value than regulatory force. Its creation shows that leading AI companies and the administration were willing to present a shared position on safety, while questions persist over how much the agreement can change industry practices.
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