Artificial intelligence has a new name, at least according to the White House. This week, President Donald Trump used one of the world’s biggest stages to argue that the term “AI” undersells the technology, and his administration has already started acting on it. Here’s what happened, what “superintelligence” actually means, and why the change has set off a debate.
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What Trump Announced
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Trump told the U.N. General Assembly that he would officially change the name of AI, saying the existing name makes the technology seem fake and that U.S. government documents would from that point forward use “super intelligence.” His reasoning was simple: the word “artificial” makes the technology sound fake, when in his view it’s “actually amazing.” He also expressed hope that the rest of the world would follow the U.S. lead.
The idea didn’t come out of nowhere. In a Truth Social post the Saturday before, Trump floated alternatives including Superior Intelligence (SI), Extreme Intelligence (EI), and Supreme Intelligence (SI). By the time he reached the UN podium, he had settled on “Super Intelligence.”
The Government Is Already Making the Switch
This isn’t just rhetoric. The State Department is ordering diplomats in its international organizations bureau to use “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in all communications. An email sent Tuesday by Michael Drager, deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, instructed staff to replace every reference and use “SI” in all remarks, positions and press elements going forward. That matters because the bureau oversees U.S. diplomatic missions to all U.N. and multilateral agencies worldwide. However, it wasn’t clear as of Wednesday whether similar orders had gone out at other agencies.
So What Is Superintelligence, Really?
Here’s where things get interesting. “Superintelligence” isn’t a new word; it already has a specific meaning in the tech world. It is defined as a form of AI that exceeds human intelligence, and it is both the ultimate goal of many frontier AI companies and the greatest concern among those warning about its risks to humanity.
Researchers typically split the field into three tiers. Narrow AI covers every system available today, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini; AGI (artificial general intelligence) is a hypothetical human-level system that doesn’t yet exist; and ASI (artificial superintelligence) is a theoretical system that would surpass human intelligence in every domain.
In other words, the new label applies the name of the most advanced, still-theoretical tier to the tools people use every day.
Why Experts Are Pushing Back
Many in the tech community see the rename as a mismatch between name and reality. Tech leaders argue that SI refers to more advanced systems, that the change is misleading, and critics also say it diverts attention from actual AI risks. Ben Leong, a computer science lecturer at the National University of Singapore, suggested professionals will likely want to reserve “SI” for a higher level of AI, since today’s technology doesn’t feel like it’s there yet. For that reason, wider industry adoption of the term is considered unlikely.
The Bigger Policy Picture
The name change sits inside a broader stance on regulation. Trump is pushing the rebrand ahead of his meeting with China’s Xi Jinping while rejecting what he called a “globalist scheme” to regulate the technology. At the UN, he framed his position as encouraging superintelligence rather than reining it in.
That puts the U.S. at odds with much of the room. AI became a major topic at this year’s General Assembly after incidents of the technology slipping out of human control and warnings from company insiders prompted global alarm and calls for stronger government oversight of the industry.
Two Ways to Read It
Supporters see the rebrand as a confidence signal: the U.S. is treating AI as a transformative national asset worth championing, not something to be embarrassed about or boxed in by international rules. A stronger name, in this reading, matches the ambition of an America-first AI strategy.
Critics see a vocabulary problem with real consequences. If everyday chatbots are officially “superintelligence,” it becomes harder to talk clearly about the far more powerful systems researchers worry about, and harder for policymakers to draw lines between today’s tools and tomorrow’s risks.
What It Means for Businesses and Everyday Users
For now, very little changes in practice. The software you use works the same regardless of what the government calls it, and the industry, researchers, and most media are still saying “AI.” Where it may matter is in official U.S. communications, international negotiations, and possibly procurement documents, where businesses working with government agencies may start seeing “SI” in contracts and RFPs. Whether the term sticks beyond Washington is an open question, and history suggests naming conventions are decided by usage, not decree.
Trump’s “AI to SI” rebrand is more than a word swap: it reflects a clear policy direction of accelerating development and resisting global regulation. Whether you see it as bold branding or misleading terminology, it has put the concept of superintelligence, and the debate over how to govern it, squarely in the public spotlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Trump rename AI to SI?
Yes. At the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2026, Trump said U.S. government documents would use “super intelligence” (SI) instead of “artificial intelligence.”
Why does Trump want to call AI “super intelligence”?
He said the word “artificial” makes the technology sound fake, and that “super” is a more accurate description.
Has the U.S. government started using SI?
The State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs instructed staff to use “SI” in all remarks, positions, and press materials. It is not yet clear whether other agencies have issued similar orders.
What is the difference between AI and superintelligence?
AI today refers to narrow systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Superintelligence (ASI) is a theoretical system that would surpass human intelligence in every domain and does not yet exist.
Will the tech industry adopt the term SI?
It is unlikely. Many experts want to reserve “superintelligence” for far more advanced future systems, so researchers and companies are expected to keep using “AI.”
