Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsiTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
President Donald Trump’s September 29, 2026 executive order tells federal executive-branch agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in specified official communications. It does not rename private companies or ban people from saying “AI.” The awkward moment for OpenAI came at the White House event: its president, Greg Brockman, praised the accord while saying the company builds “artificial intelligence.”
Did Trump officially rename artificial intelligence?
Not across the country or the private sector. Executive Order 14434 directs executive departments and agencies, “to the maximum extent permitted by law,” to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents, and other non-statutory executive-branch documents. The order leaves prior regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants, and historical documents unchanged.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era | $31.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Jacob's Ladder (Applause Books) | $12.98 | Buy on Amazon |
The order also says it creates no enforceable right or benefit against the government. Its operative instructions concern executive-branch communications; they do not require OpenAI or another private company to change its name, product labels, or ordinary public language. Read Executive Order 14434.
Why use “superintelligence” for AI?
The order adopts the existing federal statutory definition of artificial intelligence for its administrative use of “Super Intelligence” and “SI.” Under that definition, the category covers a machine-based system that can make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments to achieve human-defined objectives. The order asks for proposed legislative language establishing a federal definition within 60 days of September 29, 2026. See 15 U.S.C. § 9401(3).
#1 Best Overall
That administrative label differs from the usual technical meaning of superintelligence. In common technical usage, it describes a hypothetical system that surpasses human cognitive abilities broadly, rather than every system that meets a legal definition of AI. PolitiFact reported that the industry generally agrees no system has reached that broad level. The order’s terminology therefore does not establish that current AI systems are superintelligent; it applies a different label to the statutory AI category for government purposes. PolitiFact explains the distinction.
| Question | Order’s usage | Ordinary technical usage |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Systems covered by the existing statutory AI definition | A hypothetical system exceeding human cognition broadly |
| Setting | Specified executive-branch communications | General technical discussion, including private use |
| Status | A terminology instruction in an executive order | A capability threshold, not a government naming rule |
Philosopher Nick Bostrom, who popularized the term, told WIRED that AI has covered a much broader range of systems—including spam filters, spell checkers, navigation systems, early large language models, and older chess engines—and said, “It seems awkward to refer to these as ‘superintelligent.’” WIRED’s report discusses the terminology.
What did OpenAI say about Trump’s rebrand?
At the September 29 White House event, OpenAI president Greg Brockman said, “we build artificial intelligence to benefit everyone,” then praised the accord and the importance of moving forward safely under Trump’s leadership. The remark puts OpenAI’s familiar terminology next to the administration’s preferred label, but it was a short public comment—not a comprehensive statement of OpenAI’s naming policy. It does not establish that the company rejected the order or committed to use “SI” in other contexts. Read the event transcript.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Axios reported on October 1 that leaders from Google, Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, xAI, and Nvidia signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence. Some leaders continued to say “AI”; some company representatives said they expected to use “SI” when meeting with the administration or working with the federal government. That reporting describes a mix of language in those settings, not a universal corporate renaming.
WIRED reported on October 2 that it had asked OpenAI and several other companies about changes to company, product, research, and communications naming but had not received answers by publication. That was the status at the time of WIRED’s report, not proof of the companies’ later positions.
Rank #2
Did the public adopt the new label?
Not in the poll Axios reported. A YouGov poll conducted during the week of October 1, 2026 found that 53% preferred “artificial intelligence” and 9% preferred “super intelligence.” Axios did not provide the poll’s sample size or methodology, so the figures should be read as the reported result rather than a basis for broader claims about public opinion. Axios reported the poll and corporate reactions.
Can the government ban people from saying “artificial intelligence”?
The order’s text instructs executive departments and agencies about specified official communications; it does not impose a general prohibition on private speech. Axios reported on October 8 that Trump had called people using “Artificial Intelligence” “THE ENEMY!” in a Truth Social post. The same report noted that the order specified no penalty for using the term and that White House digital properties showed inconsistent usage at that time, including AI references and a changed AI.gov display. Those website observations describe October 8, not a permanent state. Read Axios’s October 8 report.
What the terminology dispute does—and does not—show
The central distinction is between a government communications convention and a claim about technological capability. The order uses “Super Intelligence” as an administrative replacement for “AI” across a legally defined category; the technical term usually signals a much higher, hypothetical capability. Brockman’s comment illustrates the public tension between the two labels, but the available remarks and reporting do not establish OpenAI’s broader naming policy.
The administration’s later use of “Super Intelligence Force” for a federal task force, announced after the White House meeting, shows the label extending into government naming. The Associated Press reported on October 4 that Trump named intelligence director Jay Clayton to lead it. Read the Associated Press report.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
