What does SI mean instead of AI? In US federal government usage, SI stands for "Super Intelligence." Since President Trump signed Executive Order 14434 on September 29, 2026, executive branch agencies have been directed to write "Super Intelligence" and "SI" wherever they would previously have written "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI." Legally, the new term covers exactly the same technology as the old one. It does not mean that machines smarter than humans now exist.
This explainer covers where the term comes from, what it legally means, how it differs from the research idea of superintelligence, and the other common meanings of "SI" you may run into.
What does SI mean instead of AI in government documents?
The order, titled "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence," sets the policy in one sentence. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the executive branch "shall use the terms 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' in place of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' and will not acknowledge the usage of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' in any applicable setting." You can read the full text on WhiteHouse.gov and in the Federal Register, where it was published on October 2, 2026, at 91 FR 63129.
The order applies the change to "official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents, and other non-statutory documents within the executive branch." It does not require agencies to rewrite earlier regulations, presidential actions, contracts, grants or other historical documents.
So when you see "SI" in a new federal press release, report or web page, read it as the government's new word for what everyone else still calls AI.
Does SI mean something different from AI legally?
No, not yet. Section 3 of the order says "Super Intelligence" and "SI" mean the technologies and systems covered by the term "artificial intelligence" as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). That statute, from the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, defines artificial intelligence as "a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments."
In plain terms, a spam filter, a chatbot such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and a recommendation engine all fall inside that definition. They are now "SI" in federal usage, just as they were "AI" before.
That may change. The order gives the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology 60 days to propose legislative language for a new federal definition of "Super Intelligence," including whether it should modify, expand or supersede the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence. Counting from September 29, that proposal is due around November 28, 2026. Any change to the statutory definition would need an Act of Congress.
Why the government switched from AI to SI
The order's purpose section argues that today's systems "far exceed what was envisioned when the term 'Artificial Intelligence' first came into use," and that they "do much more than imitate or automate discrete aspects of human intelligence." It concludes that "Super Intelligence" "more appropriately captures the promise, potential, and rapidly advancing capabilities of these technologies."
The White House fact sheet says the new name "conveys the true capabilities of the technologies being developed today." The fact sheet already applies the new vocabulary to earlier policy. It describes the July 2025 AI Action Plan as identifying federal actions "to win the SI race," and refers to a "National Super Intelligence Policy Framework" from March 2026, which we explain in our National AI Policy Framework guide. It also now calls the federal AI-for-science program a national effort "to harness Super Intelligence"; see Genesis Mission explained.
SI in government vs superintelligence in research
This is the main source of confusion. In AI research and safety writing, superintelligence usually means a hypothetical system that is far more capable than humans across almost every field. Philosopher Nick Bostrom popularized that meaning in his 2014 book Superintelligence. Organizations that study the risks of smarter-than-human AI, such as MIRI and the Center for AI Safety, use the word in that sense.
| Government "SI" | Research "superintelligence" | |
|---|---|---|
| Defined by | EO 14434, using 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) | Academic and safety literature |
| Covers | Any machine-based system meeting the statutory AI definition | Hypothetical systems far beyond human ability in most domains |
| Exists today? | Yes, it includes current chatbots and older AI | Not by most experts' accounts |
| Main purpose | Official federal terminology | Describing a level of capability and its risks |
Said another way: government SI is a new label for today's AI. Research superintelligence is a possible future level of capability. Leading labs are still arguing about whether even human-level general intelligence has arrived; see our explainer on whether AGI has been achieved.
How SI is already showing up in official documents
The new wording appeared immediately. On the same day as EO 14434, the President signed Executive Order 14432, which sets up America.gov as a single front door to federal services. One of its stated policies is to "ensure that super intelligence used in connection with America.gov is accurate, reliable, and transparent." Earlier orders, by contrast, said "artificial intelligence (AI)" and pointed to the same statutory definition.
On October 5, 2026, a full-text search of the Federal Register for the phrase "super intelligence" returned just those two presidential documents. Expect that number to grow as agencies publish new material. Our SI vs AI guide for businesses and agencies covers what to do about that, and our living SI timeline tracks new official documents as they appear.
Other things "SI" can mean
Search engines show many other meanings for SI, so context matters:
- The International System of Units, the metric system's official name, abbreviated SI from the French Système international d'unités.
- Spanish "sí", meaning "yes."
- Sacroiliac, as in the SI joint, in medical contexts.
- Car trim names, such as Honda's Civic Si.
- Our own site's name. intelsi.si is a .si domain, Slovenia's country code, which predates the executive order.
If a document comes from a US federal agency and is dated after September 29, 2026, SI almost certainly means Super Intelligence in the order's sense.
Points of agreement and confusion
What is clear
- SI is the executive branch's required term in new non-statutory communications.
- It legally covers the same systems as AI for now.
- Existing laws, regulations, contracts and grants are unchanged.
What could cause confusion
- The word "superintelligence" already had a different, much stronger meaning in research.
- Laws, foreign governments and companies still say AI, so readers will see both terms side by side.
- Searches of federal material may need both "AI" and "SI" to find everything.
Who needs to know this
- Readers of government news: treat "SI" in federal releases as meaning AI.
- Students and researchers: cite the statutory definition when precision matters, and search for both terms.
- Businesses and contractors: see our SI vs AI guide for practical steps.
- Anyone following the order itself: our superintelligence executive order explainer walks through every section.
FAQ
What does SI stand for in AI?
In US federal usage since September 29, 2026, SI stands for Super Intelligence. Executive Order 14434 directs executive branch agencies to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI."
Is SI the same as AI?
Legally, yes for now. The order defines Super Intelligence using the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). A future law could change that definition.
Does the government think superintelligence exists?
The order says today's systems increasingly represent "a new era of Super Intelligence," but its legal definition simply reuses the existing AI definition. It does not claim that machines now exceed humans in every field, which is what researchers usually mean by superintelligence.
Do I have to say SI instead of AI?
No. The order applies to the executive branch of the federal government. Companies, schools, journalists, states and the public can keep using AI.
When did the government start using SI?
The order was signed on September 29, 2026, and published in the Federal Register on October 2, 2026. A proposal for a new legal definition is due from the President's science adviser within 60 days of signing.