President Donald Trump escalated his campaign to overhaul the naming conventions of the tech industry on October 27, 2026, announcing on Truth Social his intention to officially ban the terms “AI” and “Artificial Intelligence” in all relevant government documents. The President argued that the word “artificial” makes the technology sound “fake” and “inaccurate,” insisting that the term “Super Intelligence” (SI) be used instead.
The announcement follows the signing of Executive Order 14434 on September 29, 2026. Titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” the order directs federal agencies to adopt the SI terminology across their digital and physical infrastructure. Trump has previously labeled those who continue to use the term “Artificial Intelligence” as “the enemy,” reflecting a hardline stance on the linguistic shift within the executive branch.
Federal Implementation and Agency Response
Several federal agencies have already begun the transition to the new terminology. The State Department and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have issued internal memos and started updating public-facing websites, including the PubMed database, to reflect “Super Intelligence” as the standard phrasing. This administrative pivot aims to align government communications with the administration’s “White House Accord on Super Intelligence,” a document signed with six major tech leaders in September 2026.
Legal and Practical Challenges
Despite the executive mandate, the ban faces significant legal and practical hurdles. Legal experts have noted that the President’s authority to prohibit specific terminology is largely restricted to the federal government and official contracts. The First Amendment protects the rights of private citizens, media outlets, and independent companies to use any term they choose, including “Artificial Intelligence.”
The administration has not yet clarified how it intends to handle historical records or existing government contracts that use the now-prohibited term, though the current directive focuses on “all relevant documents” moving forward.
