The SI Rename Timeline: From the UN Speech to the Xi Summit

Last updated: Sept 30, 2026

Sept 22, 2026: the UN General Assembly address

In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, President Trump said United States government documents would stop saying "artificial intelligence" and would use "super intelligence," or "SI." He said he hoped the rest of the world would follow, and said the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake. Reported by Axios and Breaking Defense.

The speech carried a wider policy message alongside the rename. Axios and YourStory reported that he rejected international efforts to control the technology, said he would not stifle something he called bigger than the Industrial Revolution, framed the moment as a race with China, and said the Justice Department would watch the sector if intervention became necessary.

Before the speech: name testing and the White House summary

TechRepublic reported that ahead of the address the president had tested alternative names such as "superior intelligence" in online polls, and that the White House used the new phrase in its summary of the remarks. That detail places the origin of the wording in political communication rather than in a technical process.

Sept 22, 2026: the State Department nomenclature email

The State Department's Bureau of International Organization Affairs was told by email, titled "Change in Nomenclature AI to SI," to switch all references to super intelligence. The AP, published by ABC News, reported the instruction and also reported that it was unclear whether other bureaus or agencies followed.

This remains the clearest documented instruction inside the federal government, and its limited scope is the main reason the spread of the term is still an open question.

Sept 23, 2026: SI at the UN Security Council

US representatives used the SI term at a UN Security Council meeting on AI. The AP, published by WPXI, reported the usage and noted a practical consequence of a broader switch: the "AI Force" the president had announced could be renamed an "SI Force."

Diplomatic usage is a meaningful signal because it puts the term into the record of a multilateral body rather than a domestic press release.

Around Sept 24, 2026: an on-air correction

Gizmodo reported that adviser Sebastian Gorka corrected a Newsmax anchor who said "AI race," telling him the term is now SI. The exchange is a small but concrete example of how quickly the phrase moved through allied media.

Week of Sept 22, 2026: the Xi state visit

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington that week, Trump posted that Xi seemed to like the new name. China's foreign ministry later said it respects the US side's wording, reported by Gulf News. A White House fact sheet said the two leaders agreed to use "super intelligence" to describe the technology, reported by Gizmodo.

The two descriptions sit at different strengths, which is worth noting precisely: respecting the other side's wording and agreeing to use a term are separate statements, and both were reported.

Sept 25, 2026: the existing meaning of the word

Axios reported on the collision between the new usage and the established one. Superintelligence already describes an intellect that greatly exceeds human cognitive performance across virtually all domains, a definition popularized by philosopher Nick Bostrom in his 2014 book "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies." Meta uses the word in the name of its AI division, and the concept is both an industry goal and the focus of efforts to slow or halt advanced AI development. Axios reported that it was unclear whether the White House intended to invoke that existing meaning.

Week of Sept 22, 2026: the expert reaction

Experts quoted by the BBC, summarized by To Vima, doubted the new label will catch on across the tech industry, since researchers reserve the term for far more advanced systems. The same reporting noted that some of the president's allies adopted it immediately, and that the move follows earlier renamings of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.

The same week, YourStory reported, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger international safeguards, and AI company representatives took part in a UN Security Council discussion on AI and security.

What to watch next

Three threads will decide whether this becomes standard usage or a short episode.

Other agencies. The documented instruction covers one State Department bureau, with AP reporting uncertainty about the rest. Watch for the term in other agencies' documents, solicitations, and office names, including whether the "AI Force" naming question is resolved.

Industry adoption. Researchers and companies already use superintelligence for a much more advanced capability level. Their papers, product pages, and public filings will show whether they take on the new everyday usage, hold the research meaning, or keep both in play.

Whether the term sticks. Terminology introduced through political communication can settle in or fade. The measurable signal is repeated use by parties with no stake in the announcement, including foreign governments, standards bodies, and press style guides.

We log each new documented use on the SI Tracker. For background, read What Is Super Intelligence (SI)? and AI vs SI: What Is the Difference?. Owners and operators can start with What the Shift to Super Intelligence Means for Business Owners.