Donald Trump has directed US federal agencies to replace “artificial intelligence” and “AI” with “super intelligence” and “SI” in official communications, according to The Times of India. The order also gives the White House science and technology adviser 60 days to propose legislation defining the new term in federal law.
Watch Desk analysis
What happened
The Times of India says Trump signed the executive order, titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence”, on 30 September. It directs agencies to use the new terminology in official communications, websites, reports and policy documents, to the extent permitted by law. Existing regulations, contracts, grants and historical records are not to be changed retroactively, the report says.
The order also calls for proposed legislation defining “Super Intelligence” and recommending corresponding changes to existing laws. The report says the adviser has 60 days to submit those proposals to Congress. That is a request to draft legislation, not a change to federal law by itself.
Why it matters
This is more than a presidential preference for a grander label: the order seeks to change the language federal agencies use when discussing AI and asks for a legal definition of a different term. If legislation follows, the wording could affect how US law describes and governs the technology.
The immediate change is narrower. The order’s stated reach is federal communications and operations, with exceptions and legal limits; it does not rename the technology everywhere or rewrite the records listed above.
Our read
Renaming a field does not make its systems more capable, but official terminology can shape how government discusses and legislates about them. The meaningful test is whether the proposed definition clarifies policy or simply gives familiar technology a more imposing name. “Super intelligence” arrives with quite a cape; the legal language will need to do the serious work.
What to watch
- What definition and legal changes the adviser proposes within 60 days.
- Whether Congress takes up the proposed legislation.
- How agencies apply the terminology where existing law or contracts constrain the change.
Discussion spark: Should governments adopt new labels such as “super intelligence” in official policy, or stick with established terminology until the technology and law genuinely change?
Sources and evidence
- Trump says he will ban the term 'artificial intelligence', wants it called 'super intelligence' – The Times of India (27 October 2026, 17:19 UTC)
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