Federal agencies transition to new Super Intelligence terminology
New directive mandates federal agencies adopt "Super Intelligence" terminology, impacting official communications and policy documents.
(Photo via MIT Technology Review)
Executive Order 14434, signed by President Donald J. Trump on Sept. 29, 2026, mandates that all executive branch departments and agencies replace the terms artificial intelligence and AI with Super Intelligence and SI in official communications. The directive applies to public websites, reports, policy documents, and other non-statutory materials.
The order does not require changes to existing regulations, contracts, or grants. For current legal purposes, the term Super Intelligence retains the definition of artificial intelligence as established in 15 U.S.C. § 9401(3).
The administration has set a deadline of approximately Nov. 28, 2026, for the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to submit proposed legislative language for a federal definition of the new term. Additionally, a newly formed Super Intelligence Force is tasked with delivering a report on the risks and opportunities of the technology within 120 days of the order.
On the day the order was signed, leaders from six major technology companies—Sundar Pichai of Google, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Greg Brockman of OpenAI, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, and Elon Musk of xAI—signed a voluntary commitment known as the White House Accord on Super Intelligence. This agreement focuses on safety policies and audits.
The term Super Intelligence was chosen following a poll conducted by the President on X earlier in September 2026. While the transition is currently underway, reports indicate that the adoption of the new terminology has been uneven across various government agencies.