Imagine opening an official US Navy training manual next week and finding that “AI” has vanished. Not the technology, just the two letters. In their place: “SI”, short for super intelligence. It sounds like a joke, but it is now official policy, and it says a lot about how Washington wants the world to talk about the technology everyone from Bengaluru coders to Silicon Valley billionaires is racing to build.
Here is the short version. On Thursday, October 22, 2026, the US Navy issued an administrative memo telling its websites, correspondence, training material and fleet advisories to use “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence.” The Marine Corps followed with a similar memo on Friday. Both moves carry out an executive order President Donald Trump signed on September 29, which tells every federal department and agency to stop saying AI.
Quick Facts
- Who: The US Navy and US Marine Corps, following a White House executive order
- What: “Artificial intelligence” and “AI” replaced by “super intelligence” and “SI” in official, non-statutory documents
- When: Navy memo on October 22, 2026; Marine Corps memo on October 23; executive order signed September 29
- Where: Across the US federal executive branch, including the military
- Key detail: The order sets no definition of super intelligence yet. The White House science adviser has been asked to propose one
What the Navy Super Intelligence Memo Actually Says
According to Stars and Stripes, which first reported the memo, the Navy wants the new wording on everything official it publishes. That covers websites, letters, training documents and fleet advisories. “SI” now stands where “AI” used to.
The memo argues that the technology’s capabilities “transcend historical definitions of automation” and ties the switch to the Navy’s plan to scale it up fast. The Marine Corps memo is a little more careful. It asks commands to use the new terms “to the maximum extent permitted by law,” and spells out the document types: official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports and policy papers.
The Navy appears to be the first service to formally act on the order. The Army and Air Force did not answer questions about whether they plan to do the same, and it is unclear what the Space Force will do.
Trump’s AI Rebrand: Where It Started
The idea surfaced in public on September 22, when Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He said the word “artificial” makes intelligence sound fake. He also called the technology’s abilities amazing, while adding that people need to be careful.
A week later came the paperwork. The White House fact sheet for the order, titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” says agencies must use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in official and non-statutory documents and drop the old terms. It claims the new name better reflects what today’s tools can do.
Notice that word “non-statutory.” Laws passed by Congress that mention artificial intelligence stay exactly as they are. Only Congress can rewrite those.
Why Experts Say “Super Intelligence” Is the Wrong Label
Here is the awkward part. In computer science, superintelligence already means something specific: a hypothetical system that beats the best human minds at reasoning across the board. No such system exists today. Your chatbot that still miscounts the letters in “strawberry” is not it.
That is why experts quoted by several outlets, including the BBC, doubt the new name will stick outside government. When the bosses of Google, OpenAI and Anthropic appeared at a White House event around the announcement, none of them used “SI,” according to reports. The private sector is not bound by the order at all.
Critics also see a pattern. Federal agencies already say “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pentagon calls itself the Department of War even though its legal name has not changed. Renaming things has become a signature move of this administration.
The Bigger Picture: America’s AI Race With China
The name game sits on top of a serious policy push. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been pressing the military to adopt the technology faster, and last month announced plans for an Autonomous Warfare Command. The administration argues the real danger is falling behind China, and it has brushed off warnings from some AI leaders that the technology could slip out of human control.
Last month Trump and leaders of major AI companies, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, also signed a document committing to voluntary safety standards, CBS News reported. So the message from Washington is clear: build fast, regulate lightly, and use a name that sounds bigger.
Does This Change Anything for India?
Not directly. India’s own programmes, such as the IndiaAI Mission, still use the familiar term, and nothing in the US order applies outside the American federal government.
But words travel. Indian IT firms that bid for US government work, and students preparing for jobs with American clients, may start seeing “SI” in tender documents, defence-related briefs and agency websites. If you spot it, read it as plain old AI. It does not mean the US has secretly built a machine smarter than all of us.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- How the White House will officially define “super intelligence.” No definition or deadline has been published.
- Whether the Army, Air Force and Space Force will issue their own memos.
- Whether any company or foreign government will adopt the term.
What This Means for You
- Your apps are not changing. ChatGPT, Gemini and the rest are the same products they were last week.
- If you work with US government documents, treat “SI” as a synonym for AI, not as a new technology.
- Be wary of marketing that borrows the phrase. A product calling itself “super intelligent” is not proof it is smarter than older tools.
- Keep an eye on the coming federal definition, since that could shape how US contracts describe AI work.
Our Take
Calling today’s tools “super intelligence” will not make them smarter. It does risk confusing the public about where the technology really stands, and that matters when real debates about safety, jobs and military use are underway. A sailor writing a report deserves clear words. So do the rest of us.
FAQs
Did Trump rename AI to super intelligence?
Yes, for the US federal government. An executive order signed on September 29, 2026 tells agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “AI” in official, non-statutory documents.
Why is the US Navy using “SI” instead of “AI”?
A Navy memo issued on October 22 applies the executive order to its websites, letters, training material and advisories. The Marine Corps issued a similar memo a day later.
Is today’s AI actually super intelligence?
No. In research, superintelligence means a hypothetical system smarter than the best humans at almost everything, and no current system has shown that.
Do companies like OpenAI or Google have to use the new name?
No. The order covers only the federal executive branch. Private companies and other countries are free to keep saying AI.
Does the rename affect AI laws in the US?
No. Statutory documents are excluded, so existing laws passed by Congress keep their wording.
Read the original Navy report at Stars and Stripes.
Based on reporting by Stars and Stripes, Axios, CBS News and the White House.
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