President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that swaps out the phrase “artificial intelligence” for “super intelligence” across the federal government. The directive orders every federal agency to use the new label, or “SI,” in public communications, websites, reports, and policy documents. Trump framed the shift as a matter of accuracy rather than semantics.
Donald Trump argues “artificial” sounds fake and prefers the term “super intelligence” #
On September 29, Donald Trump informed reporters about the new change, saying, “It’s not artificial, we all agree on that.” The executive order argues that “super intelligence” better describes what modern systems actually do. According to the order, these technologies do “much more than imitate or automate discrete aspects of human intelligence.”
“As these capabilities continue to improve, they increasingly represent not merely artificial intelligence, but a new era of Super Intelligence,” the order states. It adds that federal terminology “should reflect the transformative capabilities of these technologies and the limitless opportunities they create for the American people.” Michael Kratsios, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will determine whether officials need to modify or expand an official definition of the term.
The name change fits a broader pattern. Trump has repeatedly dismissed whistleblowers’ warnings about weak oversight of AI companies, calling those concerns overblown and a “hoax.” He began using “super intelligence” publicly at the UN General Assembly a week before signing the order, where he rejected pressure for tougher regulation of the industry.
Trump assured world leaders there that tech executives would install proper guardrails on their models. His confidence persists even as worries mount over AI displacing jobs and rogue agents breaching government websites or launching cyberattacks.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, tech executives signed a “morally binding” constitution on AI at the White House. That document directs companies to work with an independent external auditor to verify models are “operating as intended.”
According to Politico, it also requires internal controls, overseen by a team monitored by an independent board committee, to stop models from hacking systems. Trump maintains he will not slow AI growth. He calls American dominance over the technology a national security concern.