What "super intelligence" means now
Since 29 September 2026, "super intelligence" is the term US federal agencies use for artificial intelligence. Nothing about the technology changed. The research meaning of superintelligence, a system beyond human ability across the board, is a different thing that the order borrowed. This page keeps the two apart.
Executive Order 14434
Executive Order 14434, "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence", was signed on 29 September 2026. It directs executive departments and agencies to use "super intelligence" and "SI" in official correspondence, websites, reports and other non statutory documents. It says today's frontier systems "increasingly represent not merely artificial intelligence but a new super intelligence". It doesn't change any law that uses the words artificial intelligence, and it doesn't require companies to rename anything.
SI vs AI vs ASI: three terms
| Term | Meaning | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| AI, artificial intelligence | Software that does tasks associated with human intelligence. | Everyone, and US statute. |
| SI, super intelligence | The same software, renamed. | US federal documents since 29 September 2026. |
| ASI, artificial superintelligence | A hypothetical system that outperforms every human at every intellectual task. | AI researchers, and Nick Bostrom's 2014 book. |
How it happened
- 22 September 2026The US president tells the UN General Assembly that the government will say "super intelligence" and "SI". 2,139 registrations that day, up from 543 the day before.
- 23 SeptemberThe State Department tells diplomats in its international organisations bureau to use SI in all communications.
- 29 SeptemberExecutive Order 14434, "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence". Agencies must use the term in official documents. Companies aren't required to.
- 30 September11,331 registrations in one day.
- 2 OctoberHostinger says .si is now its second most popular extension after .com, and that over half its buyers are in the US and India.
- 4 OctoberThe Super Intelligence Force is announced, led by the Director of National Intelligence.
- 5 OctoberThe busiest day so far, with 21,756 registrations.
- 10 October371,905 .si domains, up from 190,719 in August.
What changes in practice
- Government documents, websites and reports switch terms. Expect "SI" in federal procurement and policy language first.
- Vendors who sell to the government may follow in their marketing. Nothing obliges them to.
- The models, the products and the risks are what they were in August.
- The clearest side effect so far is a domain rush in Slovenia. Registering a .si name takes about five minutes, and .si vs .ai compares it with Anguilla's domain.
What SI meant before
Before September, SI mostly meant the International System of Units, the metre and the kilogram, since 1960. In chemistry it's silicon. In Spanish and Italian it's yes. On the internet it's Slovenia.
Questions
Is AI now called SI?
In US federal documents, yes. Everywhere else, AI is still AI.
Is super intelligence the same as AGI?
No. AGI is a system as capable as a human across tasks. Superintelligence, in the research sense, is well beyond that. The government's "super intelligence" is neither. It's today's AI with a new label.
Is superintelligence here?
No system today meets the research definition. That's my view, and the order doesn't claim otherwise.
Who is on the Super Intelligence Force?
Announced on 4 October 2026 and led by the Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, with the FTC chair Andrew Ferguson, the Pentagon's chief technology officer Emil Michael and the OPM director Scott Kupor. It reports to the president and the chief of staff.
Do companies have to say SI?
No. The order covers federal agencies.