Trump White House Rebrands AI as “Super Intelligence” in New Executive Order
Trump White House Rebrands AI as “Super Intelligence” in New Executive Order
The administration says the new terminology reflects the rapidly expanding capabilities of advanced AI systems as Washington courts closer ties with the technology industry.
President Donald Trump has formally directed the federal government to use the term “Super Intelligence,” or “SI,” instead of “Artificial Intelligence,” or “AI,” in a new executive order issued as his administration steps up its technology agenda.
The order, dated September 29, says the capabilities of modern AI systems have advanced beyond what the original terminology was intended to describe. It directs executive departments and agencies, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory materials.
The move follows a high-profile White House meeting with technology executives and comes amid a broader debate over how quickly advanced AI should be developed, how it should be governed and what safeguards should accompany increasingly capable systems.
Trump Administration Frames the Change as a New Technology Era
The executive order argues that the technologies now being developed by American companies go beyond the capabilities envisioned when the term artificial intelligence was first introduced.
The administration says these systems increasingly amplify human creativity and can contribute to advances in areas including science and medicine. The order therefore describes “Super Intelligence” as a more appropriate term for the technologies covered by the existing federal definition of artificial intelligence.
The terminology change does not immediately create an entirely new legal category of technology.
Instead, the order says that “Super Intelligence” and “SI” will initially refer to technologies already encompassed by the federal statutory definition of artificial intelligence. The White House has directed its science and technology leadership to develop proposed legislative language for a future federal definition of the new terminology.
That distinction is important because the order primarily changes how the executive branch refers to the technology rather than immediately rewriting existing federal law.
The White House Is Also Expanding Government Use of AI
The terminology announcement comes as the administration pursues a broader effort to expand the use of advanced AI across government.
A separate September 29 executive order established America.gov, a unified digital entry point intended to allow Americans to access federal information and, where authorized, complete government transactions through a conversational interface. The order says the platform will use “Super Intelligence” while emphasizing privacy, security, reliability and transparency.
The White House has therefore connected the technology push not only to private-sector innovation but also to government services.
The administration says the objective is to make interactions with federal agencies simpler and more accessible, while retaining existing agency responsibilities and multiple traditional ways for Americans to obtain services.
Technology Leaders Join the Conversation
The latest policy moves follow a White House gathering involving executives from some of the largest technology and AI companies.
According to Reuters, Trump met with senior figures from companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google and Nvidia. The meeting included discussion of a voluntary agreement covering AI safety standards, including commitments related to independent auditing and preventing AI systems from carrying out unintended hacking or unauthorized system access.
The meeting illustrates the unusual position the technology industry now occupies in Washington.
AI companies are being asked to develop increasingly powerful systems while also addressing concerns about cybersecurity, safety and unintended autonomous behavior.
The administration has generally emphasized rapid innovation and has resisted what it considers excessive regulation. At the same time, recent discussions have included mechanisms intended to improve safety and oversight.
The Safety Debate Remains
The terminology shift arrives during a period of intense debate over the risks associated with advanced AI.
Technology companies, researchers and governments continue to disagree about how much regulation is necessary and how quickly new systems should be deployed.
Reuters reported that a recent poll found substantial public concern about whether AI companies have done enough to address safety risks. At the same time, technology executives and government officials have continued to argue that excessive restrictions could slow innovation and weaken American competitiveness.
The Trump administration has framed technological leadership as an important economic and national-security objective.
Earlier this year, the White House issued an executive order aimed at advancing American AI innovation and security, including efforts to accelerate adoption of AI across government while addressing national-security considerations.
What “Super Intelligence” Means in Practice
For now, the biggest immediate change is terminology.
Federal agencies are being instructed to replace “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” with “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in specified executive-branch communications. Previously issued regulations, contracts and other historical documents do not have to be rewritten under the order.
The administration has also asked its science and technology leadership to consider whether the new terminology should eventually modify or replace existing statutory references to artificial intelligence.
That process could lead to a broader legal debate, but it has not happened yet.
A Symbolic Change With Wider Implications
The decision is likely to attract attention because language matters in technology policy.
Calling the technology “Super Intelligence” places greater emphasis on its expanding capabilities and the administration’s vision of an American-led technological future.
Critics may argue that terminology should not distract from practical questions about reliability, accountability, privacy and security. Supporters of the administration’s approach are likely to see the move as recognition that AI capabilities are developing faster than older terminology suggests.
The larger policy debate will therefore continue beyond the name.
The United States is competing to remain a leading center of advanced computing and AI development while policymakers confront questions about safety, regulation, energy demand, government adoption and international competition.
For now, Trump’s executive order makes one thing official within the federal government: AI is no longer the administration’s preferred term. It is “Super Intelligence.”
How that terminology shapes future policy—and whether it becomes part of federal law—will depend on what comes next.
