In September, President Trump signed an executive order rebranding artificial intelligence as “Super Intelligence,” a term he promoted via a poll on X. The move mirrors other White House rebrands, such as renaming the Gulf of America and the Department of War, intended to project dominance and institutional shift. The administration claims the new term better reflects AI’s role in amplifying human ingenuity.
However, critics argue the rebrand serves as a political loyalty test, where adoption signals allegiance and resistance invites backlash—similar to the Associated Press being barred from White House events for not using “Gulf of America.” AI is central to public discourse, with two-thirds of Americans engaging with it weekly, making this potentially the most impactful rebrand yet. One month in, government adoption is mixed: ICE has issued solicitations for “SI-powered” surveillance, and some agencies have updated websites, though others like the Pentagon and FTC still use “AI” or incorrect capitalization. National labs and officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have slipped back into using “AI.” Trump has already pressured media outlets, demanding the Wall Street Journal adopt “Super Intelligence,” hinting at broader enforcement to come.
Source: MIT Technology Review AI · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing