Trump orders federal agencies to replace 'AI' with 'Super Intelligence'
Rule Changes
NASA moved its 'Super Intelligence' rebrand ahead of schedule as the White House task force set working groups and a February 12 deadline for its risk review.
Federal agencies are moving at different speeds to replace 'artificial intelligence' with 'Super Intelligence.' NASA pushed its second round of website and title changes live on October 16, two weeks early, while other agencies have made only partial switches.
The White House Super Intelligence Force, which met October 15, told artificial intelligence companies to report harmful model behavior and fix it. It set up working groups on cyber incident reporting, consumer protection, and workforce effects, with a 120-day mandate running to February 12, 2027. The science office still owes a proposed federal definition by November 28.
Why it matters
Federal agencies and tech companies are adopting 'Super Intelligence' as the new term for AI, which could reshape how the technology is funded and regulated.
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Key Indicators
60 days
Deadline for White House science office to propose a federal 'Super Intelligence' definition
The order requires the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to submit proposed legislative language within 60 days of September 29, 2026, by November 28.
$5B
Genesis Mission funding announced under Trump administration
A national effort to use Super Intelligence for breakthroughs in science, medicine, energy, and manufacturing.
6
Tech leaders who signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence
Leaders from Google, Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, and Nvidia signed the voluntary frontier-safety document on September 29, 2026.
90+
Federal actions in America's AI Action Plan (July 2025)
The plan identified actions to accelerate AI innovation, build infrastructure, and extend US leadership.
120 days
Deadline for Super Intelligence Force report on AI risks
The task force's 120-day mandate started with its first meeting on October 15, 2026, and runs to February 12, 2027.
$1B
Nvidia's commitment to super intelligence research
Nvidia announced on October 8 a $1 billion commitment to advance U.S. science over five years, using 'super intelligence' terminology throughout.
297
Genesis Mission projects in first-year portfolio
The Department of Energy's October 9 fact sheet announced 18 additional Genesis Mission awards, bringing the first-year portfolio to 297 projects.
4
NASA's 'Super Intelligence' rebrand phases
Phase two went live October 16, two weeks early; the final phase is targeted for December 23, 2026.
16 events
Latest: October 16th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Showing 8 of 16
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October 2026
US Government Launches si.gov Website
LatestGovernment Action
The si.gov website launched as the 'official home of America's work to lead the world in Super Intelligence,' with ai.gov redirecting to it.
NASA Moves 'Super Intelligence' Rebrand Ahead of Schedule
Government Action
NASA pushed phase two of its terminology switch live on October 16, two weeks early. The phase covers heavily visited agency pages and renames the JPL Artificial Intelligence Group's website to reflect 'SI' terminology.
Super Intelligence Force Holds First Meeting
Government Action
The task force adopted its charter and started a 120-day review that runs to February 12, 2027. It commissioned a risk report on cybersecurity, biosecurity, and model control, and set up working groups on the White House Accord, cyber incident reporting, consumer protection, and workforce effects.
Treasury Pushes Global Partners to Use 'Super Intelligence'
International
US Treasury Undersecretary Erin Browne told Reuters the US wants IMF partners to rename AI as 'super intelligence' in a statement being drafted by the IMFC.
Super Intelligence Force Tells AI Companies to Report Rogue Behavior
Government Action
The task force told artificial intelligence companies to report rogue behavior by their products and fix it immediately, Semafor reported. The warning came before the group's first official meeting.
More tech leaders adopt 'Super Intelligence' terminology
Industry Response
Elon Musk said SpaceXAI would become SpaceXSI, Salesforce renamed AIForce to SIForce, and Microsoft's Satya Nadella used the term in a post. Google's Sundar Pichai has not followed suit.
Department of Energy adopts 'Super Intelligence' terminology
Government Action
The Energy Department's October 9 science fact sheet describes 'Super Intelligence-enabled' research and uses SI for scientific datasets, robotics, and laboratory automation. It also announces 18 additional Genesis Mission awards.
Trump calls holdouts 'THE ENEMY'
Statement
Trump said anyone who does not refer to AI as 'super intelligence' is 'THE ENEMY,' per POLITICO, escalating his campaign to rebrand the technology.
Nvidia commits $1 billion to super intelligence research
Industry Response
Nvidia announced a $1 billion commitment to advance U.S. science over five years, repeatedly using 'super intelligence' terminology. CEO Jensen Huang credited President Trump's 'Genesis Mission' with launching 'a new golden age of American discovery.'
AI.gov rebrands to 'SI GOV'
Government Action
The federal AI website changed its branding to 'SI GOV,' but the transition is incomplete. The site still uses ai.gov as its address, its tab title begins with 'AI.Gov,' and search metadata continues to use 'artificial intelligence.'
Justice Department directs staff to use 'super intelligence' in communications and court filings
Government Action
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter issued a memo directing DOJ staff to use 'super intelligence' and 'SI' in place of 'AI' in official communications and court filings.
POLITICO obtains charter for White House 'Super Intelligence Force'
Document Release
The charter gives the task force broad authority to determine how the tech industry and federal government should address AI threats to national security and civil liberties.
Executive order published in the Federal Register
Publication
The order was formally published, establishing the effective policy language for the executive branch.
September 2026
Trump signs executive order renaming AI to 'Super Intelligence'
Executive Action
The order directs all agencies to use 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' in new official documents. Six tech CEOs signed a voluntary frontier-safety accord the same day.
March 2026
White House unveils National Super Intelligence Policy Framework
Policy
The framework included legislative recommendations to ensure Americans benefit from the technology.
July 2025
White House releases America's AI Action Plan
Policy
The plan identified more than 90 federal actions to accelerate AI innovation, build infrastructure, and extend US leadership.
Scenarios
1
Congress adopts 'Super Intelligence' into law
Possible
Resolves by Q2 2027
Discussed by: The executive order itself, which directs the science office to submit proposed legislative language to the President
The White House science office submits draft legislation defining "Super Intelligence" by late November 2026. Congress could pass the measure, formally replacing the "artificial intelligence" definition in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) with the new term. The administration has already pushed related legislation through the National Super Intelligence Policy Framework released in March 2026, giving this path some momentum. Still, whether the term becomes statutory depends entirely on Congress, which controls its own agenda.
2
Order reversed by court or successor administration
Possible
Resolves by Q3 2027
Discussed by: The Verge, which noted the order "could still constitute a real (and very strange) shift"
A federal court could rule that the order exceeds executive authority over statutory terminology, or a future administration could rescind it with a new executive order. Executive orders are the easiest instruments of policy to reverse, so the terminology shift could prove temporary if political control changes. The order applies only to the executive branch and does not bind Congress or the courts, limiting its reach.
3
'Super Intelligence' becomes standard practice without legal change
Likely
Resolves by Q2 2027
Discussed by: The language of the order itself, which takes effect immediately for newly issued documents
Agencies adopt "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in new materials as directed, even if Congress never codifies the term. The statutory definition would remain unchanged, creating a gap between how the government speaks and how the law reads. This is the default path unless legal action or legislation intervenes, since the order instructs agencies not to acknowledge the usage of "Artificial Intelligence" in applicable settings.
4
Tech industry adopts 'Super Intelligence' as standard terminology
Possible
Resolves by Mar 1, 2027
Discussed by: Newsweek, which reported on the divide between companies adopting and those not
Nvidia, Salesforce, and xAI have adopted Trump's terminology, while Google and others have not. If the term spreads through the industry, it could become standard usage even without a legal change. The divide between adopters and holdouts could shape how the industry is perceived by the administration.
5
International Organizations Adopt 'Super Intelligence' in Official Statements
Possible
Resolves by End of 2026
Discussed by: Reuters, US Treasury
The US Treasury is pressing the IMF and other global partners to use 'super intelligence' instead of 'artificial intelligence.' If adopted, the term could spread through international institutions, reinforcing the domestic rebrand.
6
NASA completes its four-phase 'Super Intelligence' rebrand by December 23
Likely
Resolves by Dec 23, 2026
Discussed by: NASA's internal implementation plan, reported by Space.com
NASA's plan divides the terminology switch into four phases. Phase two went live October 16, phase three is targeted for November 30, and phase four for December 23, covering remaining websites and internal IT tools. The executive order sets no deadline for agencies, so the schedule could still shift.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
1 of 3
July 1947
War Department becomes Defense Department (1947)
The National Security Act of 1947 renamed the War Department as the National Military Establishment, which became the Department of Defense in 1949. The change replaced language built around wartime command with a permanent defense posture suited to peacetime and Cold War confrontation.
Then
The new name signaled a standing military establishment ready for peacetime as well as war, and the department began reorganizing around the new structure.
Now
The term "Department of Defense" became standard, and the name change both reflected and reinforced the shift from wartime mobilization to permanent military readiness.
Why this matters now
Shows how renaming a government institution can both signal and drive a policy shift. The 'Super Intelligence' order similarly attempts to use terminology to redirect how the federal government frames a technology.
2 of 3
October 2001 - March 2003
Homeland Security terminology (2001-2003)
After the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security by executive order in October 2001. Congress then passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, establishing the Department of Homeland Security, which became operational in March 2003.
Then
A new vocabulary of "homeland security" spread across federal agencies, replacing earlier language about domestic defense and counterterrorism.
Now
The term reshaped the federal bureaucracy's structure and priorities, and remains standard usage more than two decades later.
Why this matters now
Illustrates how a politically chosen term can transform federal language and even create new institutions. Unlike that case, the 'Super Intelligence' order is a terminology change that has not yet been matched by statutory or structural change.
3 of 3
March 2003
Freedom Fries (2003)
The House cafeteria renamed French fries "freedom fries" after France opposed the Iraq invasion. The change was symbolic and applied to menus, not law.
Then
The new name became a political shorthand for tensions between the US and France during the Iraq War.
Now
The name faded from use once the controversy subsided, and the cafeteria quietly dropped it.
Why this matters now
A cautionary example of politically motivated renaming that persists only as long as the political winds favor it. The 'Super Intelligence' order faces a similar risk if political control shifts.
