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Security Independently confirmed2 publishers 2 min read Published Updated

Trump orders federal agencies to call AI 'Super Intelligence' in official documents

President Trump ordered federal agencies to write 'Super Intelligence' in place of 'AI' in correspondence, websites, reports and policy documents. The order sets no new duty for model builders; what could change their scope is a proposed statutory definition due to the President within 60 days.

The Watch · Security desk

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What happened

  • The order defines Super Intelligence as the technologies already covered by the statutory definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
  • Regulations, presidential actions, contracts and grants issued before the order do not have to be rewritten under the new term.
  • Agency authority granted by law and the budget office's budgetary, administrative and legislative functions are left untouched by the order.
  • The order creates no right or benefit enforceable against the United States and is subject to applicable law and available appropriations.
  • The White House fact sheet ties the order to more than $5 billion announced for the Genesis Mission, a federal effort to apply the technology to science, medicine, energy and manufacturing.

Why it matters

  • Who has to decide decision Compliance teams have no re-scoping decision to make now, since a system inside the statutory AI definition before the order sits inside the SI definition after it.
  • Who's exposed exposure Regulatory watch lists and keyword alerts built on 'AI' will miss new agency guidance and web pages issued under the new term.
  • What doesn't add up contradiction The fact sheet sells the name as describing more capable technology, yet the order keeps the old legal meaning, so 'SI' in an agency document covers nothing 'AI' did not.

Next story · Product · 6d ago

Federal agencies must now write 'SI' instead of 'AI'

Confirmed4 publishers

Section 1 states the policy more broadly than Section 2 carries it out. The policy sentence says the executive branch will not recognize use of the terms artificial intelligence and AI in any setting where the policy applies [2]. The implementing section limits the switch to non-statutory documents within the executive branch, and only "to the maximum extent permitted by law" [1]. Federal statutes will keep saying artificial intelligence while the agency documents written to apply them say SI [1].

The order has four sections, titled Purpose, Implementation, Definition and General Provisions [11]. Only one carries a deadline. Section 3(b) gives the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology 60 days to send the President proposed legislative language for a federal definition of SI, consulting other agencies as that office sees fit [4]. The draft must assess whether the new definition should "modify, expand upon, or otherwise supersede" the statutory definition of artificial intelligence [4]. It must also carry conforming amendments to existing statutory references and recommendations for further presidential or executive action [4]. The order directs the draft to the President and does not require it to be published [4]. Because it is legislative language, any change to which systems federal statutes cover would have to pass Congress [4].

The White House fact sheet also lists the July 2025 AI Action Plan, which identified more than 90 federal actions [12], and the March 2026 National Super Intelligence Policy Framework, which carried legislative recommendations [13]. The legislative recommendations sit in that framework. This order adds a naming rule and one drafting task [1][4].

The fact sheet says the President "eliminated the Biden Administration's overreaching and harmful SI policies" on returning to office [17]. It applies the new name to policies written before the name existed. The same fact sheet still calls the July 2025 document "America's AI Action Plan" [12]. That older title is consistent with the order's exemption for previously issued documents [8].

What to watch

  • The science adviser's proposed legislative definition, due 60 days after the order, and whether it narrows or broadens the 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) definition.
  • Whether Congress takes up that proposal or the March 2026 framework's legislative recommendations.
  • Whether agencies carry the new term into new procurement solicitations and contract language.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence80
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+55
Incentives70
Confidence70
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    To the maximum extent permitted by law, agencies shall 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 documents within the executive branch.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 2(a)View cited source
  2. [2]

    "will not acknowledge the usage of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' in any applicable setting"

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 1 policy statementView cited source
  3. [3]

    President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to replace the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Super Intelligence (SI) in the executive branch.

    Reported Supported Source: White House fact sheetView cited source
  4. [4]

    Within 60 days of the order, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, consulting agencies as the APST deems appropriate, shall submit to the President proposed legislative language for a Federal definition of Super Intelligence, including an assessment of whether it should modify, expand upon, or otherwise supersede the statutory definition of artificial intelligence, proposed conforming amendments to statutory references, and recommendations for further Presidential or executive action.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 3(b)View cited source
  5. [5]

    The name Super Intelligence "conveys the true capabilities of the technologies being developed today", not simply imitating or automating human intelligence as implied by the term Artificial Intelligence.

    Reported Supported Source: White House fact sheetView cited source
  6. [6]

    For purposes of the order, "Super Intelligence" and "SI" mean the technologies and systems encompassed by the term "artificial intelligence" as defined in section 9401(3) of title 15, United States Code.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 3(a)View cited source
  7. [7]

    The definition governs implementation of the order unless and until superseded by subsequent Presidential action consistent with applicable law or by an Act of Congress.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 3(a)View cited source
  8. [8]

    Nothing in the implementation section requires the alteration of previously issued regulations, Presidential actions, contracts, grants, or other historical documents.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 2(b)View cited source
  9. [9]

    The order is implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to appropriations, and does not create any right or benefit enforceable at law or in equity against the United States.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 4(b)-(c)View cited source
  10. [10]

    Nothing in the order impairs the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency or its head, or the functions of the OMB Director relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    Reported Supported Source: Executive order, Sec. 4(a)View cited source
  11. [11]

    The order has four sections (Purpose, Implementation, Definition, General Provisions); none sets a testing, reporting, disclosure or security requirement for developers or deployers of models.

    Reported Supported Source: Reading of the published order textView cited source
  12. [12]

    In July 2025 the White House released America's AI Action Plan, identifying more than 90 Federal actions to "win the SI race".

    Reported Supported Source: White House fact sheetView cited source
  13. [13]

    In March 2026 the White House unveiled a National Super Intelligence Policy Framework with legislative recommendations.

    Reported Supported Source: White House fact sheetView cited source
  14. [14]

    Regulatory monitoring that matches only the term "AI" will not match new agency guidance and web pages written under the order.

    Derived Supported
  15. [15]

    Any system within the statutory definition of artificial intelligence before the order is within the definition of SI after it, until the definition is superseded.

    Derived Supported
  16. [16]

    The Federal Government has announced more than $5 billion for the Genesis Mission, a national effort to harness Super Intelligence to accelerate breakthroughs in science, medicine, energy, and manufacturing.

    Reported Insufficient Source: White House fact sheetView cited source
  17. [17]

    "Immediately upon returning to office, President Trump eliminated the Biden Administration's overreaching and harmful SI policies"

    Reported Insufficient Source: White House fact sheetView cited source

Sources

2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. news.bloomberglaw.com

    1 article · September 29, 2026

    Bloomberg Law
  2. whitehouse.gov

    2 articles · September 29, 2026

    Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence – The White House

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