White House order 14434 tells federal agencies to replace AI with Super Intelligence
President Trump signed Executive Order 14434 on 29 September 2026, telling federal agencies to say Super Intelligence and SI instead of artificial intelligence.
By Emre AlemdarPublished
Tech AI LatestPresident Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14434, Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence, on 29 September 2026. It tells federal agencies to use the terms Super Intelligence and SI instead of artificial intelligence and AI in correspondence, websites, reports and policy documents. The legal meaning does not change yet: SI means what the US Code already defines as AI. The science adviser has 60 days to propose a new statutory definition.
Key facts
- Signed: 29 September 2026 (Executive Order 14434, White House)
- Rule: agencies use Super Intelligence and SI in place of artificial intelligence and AI, to the extent permitted by law
- Scope: official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports and other non-statutory documents
- Definition: SI means AI as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) until replaced
- Deadline: proposed legislative definition within 60 days from the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
What the order says
Executive Order 14434, signed on 29 September 2026, sets a terminology policy for the executive branch. Section 1 states that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the executive branch shall use Super Intelligence and SI in place of artificial intelligence and AI. Section 2 applies this to official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory documents. It does not require changes to existing regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants or historical documents.
Section 3 of Executive Order 14434 keeps the legal meaning stable for now. Super Intelligence and SI mean the systems covered by the definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). Within 60 days, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology must propose legislative language for a federal definition of Super Intelligence, assess whether it should replace the existing definition of AI, and suggest conforming amendments.
How the White House explains it
The order says today's frontier systems do much more than imitate or automate parts of human intelligence, and that the term Super Intelligence better captures their promise. The White House fact sheet says the new name will keep agencies focused on expanding these technologies. It also lists earlier steps: more than $5 billion announced for the Genesis Mission, the July 2025 AI Action Plan with more than 90 federal actions, and a National Super Intelligence Policy Framework with legislative recommendations in March 2026.
What changes in practice
For companies, nothing in the order creates a new obligation. It binds only executive departments and agencies, creates no enforceable rights, and leaves existing rules untouched. The visible change will be wording on agency websites, in guidance and in procurement documents, which may now say SI where they said AI. Contractors and grant applicants may need to map the new term to existing requirements, because statutes still say artificial intelligence. The fact sheet goes further in tone, saying agencies should no longer acknowledge the terms artificial intelligence or AI.
The order does not claim that any existing system has reached superhuman ability. The term is defined by reference to the existing statutory definition of AI, so for now the change is in the name, not in the scope of what is covered. Whether a future statutory definition would narrow or widen that scope is not stated in the order.
What to watch next
The 60-day deadline for the proposed definition falls in late November 2026. Any change to statutory definitions would need an Act of Congress. State reactions and other US rules are followed under AI Policy & Regulation.
What changed
| Before | Federal agencies used the terms artificial intelligence and AI, defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) |
|---|---|
| After | Agencies must use Super Intelligence and SI in non-statutory documents; the statutory definition stays until a new one is proposed and enacted |
| Who it affects | Federal agencies and their publications; contractors and grantees reading federal guidance; Congress, which would have to change the statutory definition |
Questions people ask
- Does Executive Order 14434 change the legal definition of AI?
- No. It says Super Intelligence and SI mean artificial intelligence as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) until a new definition is set by presidential action consistent with law or by Congress.
- Who has to use the term Super Intelligence?
- Executive departments and agencies, in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports and other non-statutory documents. The order does not cover private companies.
- What happens within 60 days?
- The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology must submit proposed legislative language for a federal definition of Super Intelligence and SI, with any conforming amendments.
Sources
- Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence (Executive Order 14434) (The White House, 29 Sep 2026)
- Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Inaugurates The Era of Super Intelligence (The White House, 29 Sep 2026)
Reference pages
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