Product Reports disagree 14 publishers 2 min read Published Sep 30, 2026, 12:00 PM PDT Updated Oct 9, 2026, 11:51 AM PDT

Trump orders federal agencies to write "Super Intelligence" in place of AI

Donald Trump signed an order on Sept. 29 telling executive agencies to write "Super Intelligence" and "SI" for AI in new documents. Contracts and rules already issued keep their wording, and any change to what the term legally covers would come from a definition the White House science adviser has 60 days to propose.

The Engineer · Build desk

Send a correction

What happened

The science adviser's draft must assess whether the new term should modify, expand or supersede the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence.
The order does not require companies such as OpenAI, Google or Nvidia to rename their products or stop using the term AI.
The order says today's technologies "far exceed what was envisioned when the term 'Artificial Intelligence' first came into use."
Trump previewed the rename at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, arguing that the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake.

Why it matters

What it limits constraint Tools that search, tag or track federal material by the string "AI" will miss new agency documents unless they map "SI" to the same legal scope.
Who's exposed exposure If Congress enacts an expanded or superseding definition, every obligation already keyed to the statutory AI definition would inherit the new scope.
What doesn't add up contradiction Federal text now uses the word for today's systems while researchers use it for machines better than humans at every task, so a bill banning superintelligence would be read against whichever definition Congress adopts.

Next story · Product · Oct 9

Trump's order tells federal agencies to call AI 'super intelligence'

Confirmed7 publishers

The order is written as an alias. While agencies implement it, "SI" covers the same technologies as the federal statutory definition of artificial intelligence ^[5]. TechRepublic described this as the government changing the label before it changes the underlying legal definition ^[6].

The drafting gets one thing right. An executive order directs the executive branch within the president's legal authority and does not, by itself, rewrite terms Congress placed in statute ^[13]. Because the new word is tied to the old definition, agency documents written from now on do not use an undefined term. Anyone who has renamed a column in a live database will recognize the order of operations: add the alias, keep the old name readable, migrate the schema later. The order also limits itself to "the maximum extent permitted by law" ^[8].

For teams that report to agencies or sell to them, the change shows up first as vocabulary. New executive branch websites, correspondence, reports and policy documents switch to SI ^[2]. The order's text reaches "in any applicable setting" ^[8]. Neither report says whether a new solicitation, or a report a contractor files with an agency, counts as one.

The scope question sits in the second provision. The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology has 60 days to submit proposed legislative language defining "Super Intelligence" and "SI" ^[3]. Counted in calendar days from Sept. 29, the deadline is Nov. 28 ^[15]. The draft is a proposal to Congress. It changes no statute until Congress passes it ^[13]. In my view it is still the document to read closely, because it is where a legal scope for the new word would first be written down ^[3].

Trump has explained the rename in plainer terms. "We're using the word super because the other word is a fake word," he told reporters ^[9]. Researchers use superintelligence for systems that are better than humans at every task, and Tom's Hardware reports that current frontier models are nowhere near that level ^[10]. The same outlet reports that Senator Bernie Sanders has co-proposed a bill banning its development, with penalties on par with illegally developing nuclear weapons ^[14].

What to watch

The text of the science adviser's proposed statutory definition of Super Intelligence, due around Nov. 28.
Whether agencies carry SI wording into new solicitations and contractor reporting templates, which would show what "applicable setting" covers in practice.
How the Sanders superintelligence ban bill defines its term, and whether it overlaps any statutory SI definition Congress takes up.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence78
Adoption15
Hype gap+35
Incentives55
Confidence72

Perspective Coverage

15 publishers

Builder: Builder 24%
Operator: Operator 40%
Investor: Investor 36%

Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

[1]
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 29 directing executive branch agencies to replace "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" with "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in official communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory materials.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[2]
The directive applies to new official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory executive branch documents.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[3]
The order gives the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology 60 days to submit proposed legislative language establishing a federal definition of "Super Intelligence" and "SI."
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[4]
The proposal must assess whether the new definition should modify, expand, or supersede the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[5]
For purposes of implementing the order, "SI" covers the same technologies currently encompassed by the federal statutory definition of artificial intelligence.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublic, describing the orderView cited source
[6]
In practical terms, the government is changing the label before changing the underlying legal definition.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublic analysisView cited source
[7]
Existing laws do not automatically change, and the order does not require agencies to alter previously issued regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants or historical documents.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[8]
"It is therefore the policy of my Administration that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the executive branch shall use the terms 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' in place of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' and will not acknowledge the usage of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' in any applicable setting."
Reported Supported Source: Text of the executive order, as quoted by Tom's HardwareView cited source
[9]
"We're using the word super because the other word is a fake word."
Reported Supported Source: Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, as quoted by Tom's HardwareView cited source
[10]
Superintelligence is the term scientists use for AI that has achieved cognitive superiority to humans in every conceivable task, and the latest frontier models are nowhere near that level.
Reported Supported Source: Tom's HardwareView cited source
[11]
"The extraordinary technologies being pioneered by American innovators far exceed what was envisioned when the term 'Artificial Intelligence' first came into use," the order states.
Reported Supported Source: Text of the executive order, as quoted by TechRepublicView cited source
[12]
The order does not directly require private companies such as OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta, Microsoft or Nvidia to rename their products or stop using the term "AI."
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublicView cited source
[13]
An executive order directs the executive branch's operations within the president's legal authority and does not, by itself, rewrite terminology Congress has placed in federal statutes.
Reported Supported Source: TechRepublic analysisView cited source
[14]
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), alongside a Texas Democrat, has proposed a bill banning development of artificial superintelligence, with a penalty on par with the illegal development of nuclear weapons.
Reported Supported Source: Tom's HardwareView cited source
[15]
Sixty calendar days from the Sept. 29 signing falls on Nov. 28.
Derived Supported
[16]
Trump previewed the change during his Sept. 22 appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, arguing that the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake.
Reported Contested Source: TechRepublicView cited source

Sources

14 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

businesstoday.in
2 articles · September 30, 2026
'AI is like fake news': Trump renames artificial intelligence as 'super intelligence'; here's why - BusinessToday
cio.com
1 article · September 30, 2026
Trump’s answer to AI’s image problem: Industry self-regulation and a new name | CIO
computerworld.com
1 article · September 30, 2026
Trump’s answer to AI’s image problem: Industry self-regulation and a new name – Computerworld
dev.to
2 articles · October 3, 2026
When AI Became SI: The Most Interesting Part Isn't the Name!!!
gizmodo.com
1 article · September 29, 2026
Trump Clearly Expects AI Leaders to Go Along With His ‘Super Intelligence’ Rebrand. Will They?
mezha.net
1 article · October 4, 2026
Термін «суперінтелект» у США збігся зі стрибком реєстрацій доменів .si
nextgov.com
1 article · September 29, 2026
White House unveils ‘super intelligence’ executive order and industry accord - Nextgov/FCW
pcmag.com
1 article · September 29, 2026
'It Sounds Much Better.' Trump Executive Order Renames AI to 'Super Intelligence' | PCMag
scmp.com
1 article · October 2, 2026
What’s in a name? Why Trump wants to rebrand AI as ‘super intelligence’
techrepublic.com
1 article · September 30, 2026
Trump Signs ‘Super Intelligence’ Order: What Actually Changes for AI
theneuron.ai
1 article · October 1, 2026
😸 Trump renamed AI "Super Intelligence"
thenextweb.com
1 article · September 30, 2026
First a gulf, then a lake, now a technology. Trump orders US agencies to call AI ‘super intelligence
theverge.com
2 articles · September 29, 2026
Trump orders US government to call AI ‘Super Intelligence’
tomshardware.com
1 article · September 30, 2026
Trump tells federal agencies to use the term 'Super Intelligence ' instead of artificial intelligence
wired.com
1 article · October 2, 2026
Trump’s Crazy AI Rebrand Was a Loyalty Test for Tech Execs—and It Worked

Clarity analysis

How the coverage leans and what the record actually supports. Read the methodology

Perspective Coverage

How much of the coverage speaks to builders, operators and investors. It measures emphasis, not whether the story is right.

Builder24%

For developers the order changes the wording of government documents. It does not touch any system. The two dev.to posts are the only pieces in our coverage written for builders. One lists what to check when a vendor relabels a product as "SI": model version, tools, permissions, pricing. The other turns the rename into an essay on language and machine consciousness. TechRepublic adds that ChatGPT and Gemini keep their names, since the order does not bind private companies.

Operator40%

CIO and Computerworld give operators the most usable account. They cite Section 3, which ties SI to the existing definition at 15 U.S.C. 9401(3), put the definition deadline at November 28, and confirm that existing contracts and grants keep their wording. Only CIO notes that the order does not address vendor proposals, solicition responses or product documentation that use the older terms. For anyone selling to federal agencies, that is the open procurement question.

Investor36%

Wired and Gizmodo cover the market side, asking whether AI companies will adopt the term. Wired asked seven companies about product names and heard nothing back before publication. Meta told Gizmodo that Zuckerberg already uses "superintelligence", while its products still say AI. The only measurable signal is mezha.net's report of 46,066 new .si domains in a month, and the outlet says the figures do not prove the order drove them.

Reality

Evidence, adoption, hype gap, incentives and confidence, each read independently from the current record on the scale shown beneath it. How these are measured.

Evidence78: 0100
Order text quoted consistently
The narrow reading rests on quotations from the order that match across outlets working independently. CIO, TechRepublic, Gizmodo and The Next Web all report the Section 3 cross-reference to 15 U.S.C. 9401(3), and PCMag quotes the fact sheet's exemption for past contracts and grants. Readers get the text through those excerpts. Of our sources, only a dev.to post links the White House text.
Adoption15: 0100
Anecdotal outside government
Outside agencies, use of "SI" comes down to a few moments. Musk corrected himself to "SI, pardon me". Meta pointed Gizmodo to its existing superintelligence branding. The accord the CEOs signed says "frontier models" everywhere except its title. Wired got no reply from seven companies asked about product names. The .si domain spike is real, but mezha.net says it cannot be tied to the order.
Hype gap+35: −100 understated0 aligned+100 overstated
Rhetoric ahead of the text
The order says today's systems "far exceed what was envisioned", yet its working definition is the old statutory one, which Bostrom told Wired covers spam filters and spell checkers. Coverage that treats the rename as a change in the technology, such as Business Today's talk of a next phase, overstates a text that changes document wording and assigns a drafting task due Nov. 28.
Incentives55: 0100
Political motive reported; corporate motive inferred
PCMag links the rename to Trump's effort to calm backlash against AI and data centers. Tom's Hardware cites polling in which 73% said they would push back against a local AI data center. The companies' motives are harder to pin down. Wired's view that executives will "do the minimum to avoid presidential ire" is the writer's own bet, and none of the firms explained their position on the record.
Confidence72: 0100
Firm on scope, open on what follows
What the order covers is well established, because independent outlets report the same scope and exemptions. What happens next is uncertain. The definition proposal is due Nov. 28, and any change to the statute needs Congress. The one factual conflict is minor: the UN speech is dated Sept. 22 in two sources and Sept. 23 in Wired.

Topics and entities

Topics

Superintelligence
Voluntary AI safety commitments
US Federal AI Policy