"Super Intelligence": A new name with ambitions exceeding technology's capabilities

The debate surrounding artificial intelligence is no longer confined to its impact on productivity and the labor market, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s issuance of an executive order on September 29 that mandated the replacement of the term “artificial intelligence” (AI) with “superintelligence” (SI) in government communications. The decision has sparked questions about its economic and regulatory implications.

Executive Order 14434 requires the adoption of the new terminology in government correspondence and documents, without compelling agencies to amend existing contracts, regulations, or prior documents. The current legal definition remains in place, and the President’s Counsel for Science and Technology is tasked with drafting a new federal definition within 60 days.

The decision has garnered support from technology industry leaders. Elon Musk announced his intention to rename “SpaceX” to “SpaceX SI,” while NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described data centers as “superintelligence factories.” The repercussions extended to the internet domain market, as registrations of the Slovenian country-code top-level domain (.si) surged by 2,199% in September, recording 11,000 new domains on September 30 alone, driven by digital speculation.

Conversely, a YouGov poll revealed that 53% of Americans prefer the original term, compared to just 9% for the new one, amid international reservations about the change.

Economically, the shift may impose additional costs on companies to update their documents, systems, and trademarks, without guaranteeing increased revenues, profits, or market valuations. Ultimately, actual technical capabilities and investment returns remain the primary benchmarks for evaluating technology, independent of political and marketing labels.