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President Donald Trump’s September 29, 2026, Executive Order 14434 directs federal executive departments and agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in covered non-statutory materials, to the maximum extent permitted by law. It does not rename the technology for everyone, rewrite the existing statutory definition, or establish that today’s AI is technically superintelligent.
What did Trump’s “Super Intelligence” order actually change?
Executive Order 14434, titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” applies to executive-branch correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory documents. The order instructs agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” where they would otherwise use “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI,” subject to the limits of applicable law. Executive Order 14434
For purposes of implementing the instruction, the order initially treats “Super Intelligence” and “SI” as covering the systems included in the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence. That makes the new terminology a federal naming policy, not a declaration that the underlying systems have changed.
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The order directs executive departments and agencies to adopt the new wording in the specified materials, but only to the maximum extent permitted by law. It does not require agencies to rewrite previously issued regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants or historical documents. Nor does it itself amend statutory references to AI. Executive Order 14434
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The instruction is confined to the federal executive branch. It does not, by itself, require state governments, private companies, researchers or the public to change their terminology. Federal readers may therefore see “SI” in newer agency communications alongside “AI” in statutes, state laws, contracts, internal policies, vendor questionnaires and governance frameworks. The IAPP identified this terminology mismatch as a practical governance consideration, not a universal obligation for organizations to rename their materials. IAPP’s analysis of the order
Does the order change the legal definition of AI?
No. For now, the order borrows the existing statutory AI definition to determine which systems its new terms cover. It also directs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to submit proposed legislative language within 60 days of September 29, 2026. The requested proposals are to address a federal definition, possible amendments to statutory references and any additional implementation actions. That is a deadline in the order; it is not evidence that Congress has adopted a new definition or that the proposals have been completed. Executive Order 14434
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Why does Trump want AI called “Super Intelligence”?
The order argues that frontier systems do more than imitate or automate discrete aspects of human intelligence, and says federal terminology should reflect their capabilities and potential. It states: “Accordingly, the term ‘Super Intelligence’ more appropriately captures the promise, potential, and rapidly advancing capabilities of these technologies.” Executive Order 14434
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Trump also framed the issue as one of branding. At the UN General Assembly, he said: “The use of the word artificial makes intelligence fake, it makes it sound fake and it is not fake. It’s actually amazing.” The Associated Press reported those remarks on September 23, 2026. Associated Press report
At a September 29 event, Trump called the terminology “the official name in the United States,” referring to the new federal usage. That should be understood as his description of the executive-branch policy, not a claim that every state, organization or legal document must now use the term. Transcript of Trump’s September 29 remarks
Does “Super Intelligence” mean current AI is superintelligent?
No. The phrase in the executive order has a specific administrative meaning: it maps to systems in the existing statutory AI definition unless the law provides otherwise. In technical discussion, “superintelligence” commonly refers to AI capability exceeding human cognitive performance across tasks. Tom’s Hardware makes that distinction in its coverage of the order; the order itself does not establish that current frontier models meet that technical description. Tom’s Hardware’s explanation
How did the terminology change roll out?
| Date | Action | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| September 22, 2026 | Trump said at the UN General Assembly that he would change the name used in U.S. government documents. | Public remarks; not yet the later executive-branch order. Associated Press report |
| September 23, 2026 | The Associated Press reported an email instructing employees in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in remarks, positions and press materials. | That bureau; AP said it was unclear whether other State Department bureaus had similar instructions at the time. Associated Press report |
| September 29, 2026 | Trump issued Executive Order 14434. | Broader instruction to executive departments and agencies for covered non-statutory materials, subject to law. Executive Order 14434 |
| September 30, 2026 | The IAPP summarized governance implications of the order. | Analysis of how federal terminology may coexist with AI wording in laws, contracts, policies and governance materials. IAPP’s analysis |
The change is not uniform across jurisdictions. The Associated Press reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom separately directed state agencies to continue using “artificial intelligence.” Associated Press report on California’s terminology
What should people who work with federal materials do?
When reading or preparing documents, follow the terminology required by the particular authority and document. New federal agency materials may use “SI,” while a statute, contract, state rule or existing organizational policy may still use “AI.” The order’s scope does not, on its own, establish a duty for outside organizations to rename their systems or records.
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