Trump’s AI Rebrand Turns Terminology Into a Loyalty Test

President Donald Trump signed an executive order at the end of September that mandates all federal agencies replace the term “artificial intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” (SI). The move, reported by MIT Technology Review, instantly turned a semantic tweak into a litmus test of political allegiance.

What happened

According to MIT Technology Review, the order – the sole directive in the executive order – requires agencies to rebrand AI as “Super Intelligence,” a phrase that beat out alternatives like “Extreme Intelligence” and “Supreme Intelligence” in a poll the president ran on X. The change has already appeared in government solicitations, such as an ICE request for “SI‑powered” surveillance, and on several agency websites, including a banner on the National Institutes of Health site warning visitors of the transition. However, adoption is uneven: the Pentagon’s new Project Meridian announcement still used “AI,” the Federal Trade Commission’s recent release used “superintelligence” (lower‑case, uncapitalized), and Health and Human Services press releases show no sign of the new language. Even high‑profile officials stumble; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referred to “AI” in an October 3 interview, and a national‑lab researcher admitted to defaulting to “AI” before correcting himself.

The rebrand also extends to the private sector. On the same day the order was signed, the White House released a non‑binding “Accord on Super Intelligence” signed by six tech leaders: Sundar Pichai (Google), Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Greg Brockman (OpenAI), Elon Musk (xAI) and Jensen Huang (Nvidia). Yet, as MIT Technology Review notes, only Zuckerberg and Musk have consistently used the term in earnings calls; Meta had already been using “superintelligence” since the prior year, and Musk’s companies have begun rebranding (e.g., pledging to rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI) while still mixing SI and AI on social media. Executives at Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet continue to speak of “AI,” though Microsoft’s latest shareholder letter referenced a “Super Intelligence era.”

Critics argue the mandate wastes taxpayer time and money. Federal agency leaders must now draft a new legislative definition of “Super Intelligence” for presidential review by month‑end, and staff are writing internal guides on navigating the terminology shift. The broader concern, highlighted by MIT Technology Review, is that the rebrand could polarize the national conversation about AI—a topic two‑thirds of Americans discuss multiple times a week and which currently transcends partisan lines.

Why it matters for small‑business leaders

For owners and team leads, the terminology battle is more than semantics. First, any federal contract or grant your company pursues will likely require the use of “Super Intelligence,” meaning proposals that still say “AI” could be flagged as non‑compliant. Second, the political framing creates a reputational risk: publicly using “AI” may be perceived as dissent, while adopting “SI” could alienate customers or partners who view the rebrand as a partisan stunt. Third, the confusion around official language adds operational friction—marketing copy, product documentation, and internal training materials may need rapid updates to avoid missteps that could attract regulatory scrutiny or media criticism. In short, the rebrand forces small firms to make a strategic decision about alignment with the current administration’s narrative, balancing compliance, brand consistency, and stakeholder expectations.

What to do this week

1. Review any pending or upcoming federal RFPs and update terminology to “Super Intelligence” where required, noting the specific capitalisation (SI) mandated by the order.
2. Draft a short internal memo clarifying the preferred term for external communications and provide examples to ensure your marketing and sales teams use “Super Intelligence” consistently when addressing government audiences.
3. Conduct a quick stakeholder scan—identify key customers, partners or investors who may be sensitive to the terminology shift—and prepare a brief FAQ explaining your company’s stance to pre‑empt confusion or backlash.

Sources

• Here’s who is falling in line for Trump’s “Super Intelligence” loyalty test — MIT Tech Review