is it AI or SI?

SI /ˌɛsˈaɪ/ abbr. super intelligence, US government usage since Sept 2026

Is it AI SI now?

In the US federal government, yes. Everywhere else, mostly no. Here is what actually changed when artificial intelligence became "super intelligence".

Updated 3 November 2026

Short answer

On 29 September 2026 President Trump signed an executive order telling US federal agencies to say "Super Intelligence" (SI) instead of "Artificial Intelligence" (AI). It covers the executive branch only. The law, other countries, most companies and most people still say AI.

What changed

The order, titled Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence, says the executive branch will use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" to the maximum extent the law allows. It applies to official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory documents.

Some parts of government moved before the order was signed. A State Department bureau told staff to switch on 22 September, the day the President announced the rename at the UN General Assembly.

What didn't change

  • The technology. No system got smarter overnight. The order borrows the existing legal definition of AI and applies it to SI.
  • The law. Statutes, regulations and contracts that say "artificial intelligence" still say it. A proposal for a new legal definition of SI is due about 60 days after the order, around 28 November 2026.
  • Everyone outside the US federal government. Private companies, US states, other countries and the public can call it what they like. California has said it won't follow the order, and Japan's prime minister told parliament it is still AI for now.

Why "super intelligence" is confusing

Researchers already used "superintelligence" for something specific: a hypothetical system that outperforms humans across almost every intellectual task. Today's chatbots and image tools don't meet that bar. So the same words now mean two different things depending on who is speaking. Our guide to AI, SI, AGI and ASI untangles them.

Where to go next

What does SI stand for?The short answer, and the other things SI can mean. The order in plain EnglishWhat it requires, who it covers and what happens next. Who has switched to SIAgencies, companies and countries, with sources. Take the quizEight organisations. Do they say AI or SI?

Sources

  1. Xenospectrum: what the SI order actually defines
  2. MLex: Trump signs Super Intelligence executive order
  3. The Daily Beast: what the order covers, in the President's words
  4. The Hill: diplomats ordered to use super intelligence
  5. Simular: AI vs SI, including the definition deadline (citing Freshfields)
  6. The National: California will not follow the order
  7. Kumanichi (Kyodo): Japan's prime minister on the AI name
  8. HackerNoon: is the rename actually more accurate?