From AI to SI: Are We Starting to Talk About Intelligence Differently?
The US executive branch has been directed to use the terms “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory documents, under an Executive Order signed on 29 September 2026.
Importantly, the order does not create a new technical category for the systems schools are using today. For implementation purposes, it defines “Super Intelligence” using the existing US statutory definition of artificial intelligence, while directing officials to propose legislative language for a future federal definition. It also does not require previously issued regulations, contracts, grants or other historical documents to be rewritten.
That distinction matters in education. Terminology can shape how technology is discussed, but the label does not change the practical questions schools need to ask: What does the tool actually do? How reliable is it? What happens to student data? Where is human oversight? What evidence is there that it improves learning or work?
The order applies to terminology used by the US executive branch; it does not itself change school policies elsewhere. For international schools, the more useful approach is to stay precise about capabilities. Whether a product is described as AI, SI or something else, safeguarding, governance, procurement and learning value remain the substantive issues.
Read the White House Executive Order.
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