AI and SI: US adopts Super Intelligence
The US introduces Super Intelligence (SI) in federal communications. Understand the AI naming change and its practical impact.
On 29 September 2026, the White House issued an executive order on Super Intelligence. It directs US executive departments and agencies to use Super Intelligence (SI) in place of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in official communications and non-statutory documents, to the extent permitted by law.
The terminology is already appearing in practice. NIST has renamed its topic page “Super intelligence” and says it is updating its communications in response to the order. For businesses reading US government material, AI and SI may now refer to the same technology under this administrative terminology.
What the order changes
The instruction covers federal executive-branch correspondence, public communications, websites, reports and policy documents. It does not require changes to previously issued regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants or other historical documents.
For this order, SI refers to the technologies covered by the existing statutory AI definition in 15 USC 9401(3). The order also calls for proposed legislative language within 60 days. That request is a future proposal, rather than an enacted replacement of the statutory definition.
The order does not impose a general requirement on private businesses to rename their AI products, documentation or services. Its scope should not be confused with a worldwide change in technical terminology.
SI and technical superintelligence
There are two meanings to distinguish. Super Intelligence, as used in this order, is an administrative name for AI. In technical discussions, superintelligence usually refers to systems with capabilities exceeding human expertise across a broad range of tasks. OpenAI’s discussion of superintelligence governance illustrates that separate, capability-based meaning.
An AI agent being described as SI in federal communication does not establish that it has reached artificial general intelligence (AGI) or artificial superintelligence (ASI). A name change is not evidence of a capability change.
What this means for businesses
When a supplier or government document uses SI, check its definition and context. Evaluate the actual work a system can perform, the tools it can access, the conditions requiring approval and how its results are verified. Those questions remain useful under either name.
For Botonom, AI remains the main term in our practical guides. Where relevant, we explain SI alongside it so readers can follow the new US terminology without losing the technical distinction. This does not introduce a claim that Botonom agents have human-surpassing intelligence.
Our digital worker guide explains what an agent does in a business. The agent job description guide covers scope and accountability, and the AI team management documentation covers team organization. These remain the practical starting points when evaluating a system called AI or SI.
This update was published on 1 October 2026 and reflects the order and official material available on that date.