HWG Advisory

By Austin Bonner and Alex Tate

On September 29, 2026, President Trump issued an executive order, Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence. The order directs the executive branch to use the terms “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI.” In the Administration’s view, the new terminology better reflects the capabilities of technologies that “do much more than imitate or automate discrete aspects of human intelligence.”

To the maximum extent permitted by law, agencies must use the new terms in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, and policy and other non-statutory documents. The order also establishes that the executive branch will “not acknowledge the usage of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘AI’ in any applicable setting.” It does not require agencies to revise previously issued documents including regulations, Presidential actions, contracts, or grants.

For now, this is a mere change in terminology. Under the order, and except where otherwise provided by law, SI has the same meaning as AI under 15 U.S.C. § 9401(3): “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.” The order therefore does not limit SI to systems that exceed human intelligence.

The order does, however, direct the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to submit proposed legislative language within 60 days to establish a federal definition of SI. The proposal must assess whether that definition should modify, expand, or supersede the existing statutory AI definition, include appropriate conforming amendments, and recommend any additional executive action needed for implementation.

Moving forward, organizations should expect the new terminology in Administration communications. The order itself does not require private organizations to adopt the terminology or change their products, contracts, or compliance programs. Any broader legal effects will depend on the definition proposed and the legislative or executive actions that follow. Organizations should monitor those developments, particularly where existing obligations turn on a statutory definition of AI.