Following a White House executive order issued on September 29, 2026, that directed federal agencies to replace "artificial intelligence" with "Super Intelligence" (SI), several major technology figures have begun adopting the new terminology in their public communications.
What Happened
The shift in vocabulary follows President Donald Trump’s declaration that the administration considers the term "Artificial Intelligence" inaccurate and prefers "Super Intelligence," a change formalized by an executive order requiring government agencies to use the new term. Elon Musk was among the first to align with the directive, promising to rename SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI. Shortly after, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced that the company would rename its AIForce product to SIForce.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who attended the summit where the executive order was announced, also aligned himself with the administration's stance, stating his belief that the dangers posed by SI are overblown. Consequently, Nvidia’s recent commitment of $1 billion to scientific advancement included specific funding for "super intelligence research." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who attended the same summit alongside Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos, Dario Amodei, and Musk, also adopted the terminology. In a recent post calling for an "emergency brake" for SI, Nadella repeatedly referred to the technology as "super intelligence."
Why It Matters
The adoption of "Super Intelligence" by industry leaders signals a strategic effort by Silicon Valley to ingratiate itself with the Trump administration, contrasting with the more contentious relationship observed during his first term. While the executive order changes official vocabulary, it does not alter the underlying technology or legal statutes; for instance, the EU AI Act and most vendor documentation continue to use "AI." The rapid shift in naming conventions by companies like Nvidia and Salesforce highlights the influence of political alignment on corporate branding and public relations within the SI industry.
The Bottom Line
Key figures in the technology sector, including Musk, Benioff, Huang, and Nadella, have transitioned to using "Super Intelligence" in public statements and product names, aligning with the White House directive while the broader population and many legal frameworks continue to use "AI."