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

The debate over 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 agencies, amid questions about the economic and regulatory implications of the decision.

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

The decision received support from technology industry leaders. Elon Musk announced his intention to rename “SpaceX” to “SpaceX SI,” while NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang adopted the description of data centers as “superintelligence factories.”

The repercussions extended to the internet domain market, as registrations of the .si country-code top-level domain surged by 2,199% in September, reaching 11,000 domains on September 30 alone, driven by digital speculation.

Conversely, a YouGov poll showed that 53% of Americans preferred the old term, compared to 9% for the new one, with 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. The actual technical capabilities and investment returns remain the primary criteria for evaluating technology, independent of political and marketing labels.