NASA implementing Trump's 'Super Intelligence' terminology mandate across agency communications and systems
Following a September 29 executive order, NASA has begun a four-phase plan to replace all references to 'artificial intelligence' with 'super intelligence' in official communications, websites, and digital infrastructure through December.
What happened
President Trump signed an executive order on September 29 titled 'Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence' directing federal agencies to replace 'artificial intelligence' and 'AI' with 'super intelligence' and 'SI' in all official communications. NASA's Office of Communications and Office of the Chief Information Officer distributed an internal implementation schedule requiring the terminology change in all new presentations, publications, media interviews, and external materials effective immediately. The plan covers both public-facing and internal communications, including NASA websites, style guides, IT systems, and employee communications, with some changes described as 'breaking changes' that will disrupt existing software integrations. NASA personnel have been instructed not to acknowledge the previous terminology, including phrases like 'SI, also/formerly known as AI.' NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, appointed in December 2025, has been applying pressure internally to execute the directive, with one employee telling Space.com, 'We are getting a lot of pressure from the administrator himself to act on this.'
Context
The White House argues that existing AI technology has advanced beyond simple automation and requires language reflecting 'emerging capabilities,' though the federal government's underlying definition of artificial intelligence—machine-based systems making predictions, recommendations, or decisions—remains unchanged. This means technologies already classified as AI can now be designated 'super intelligence' without demonstrating new capabilities. NASA continues expanding AI across missions including autonomous Mars rover navigation and scientific data analysis, but the technology itself is not being altered; only its nomenclature is changing. The terminology shift introduces practical obstacles for scientific communication and digital infrastructure maintenance, including potential disruption to existing software systems. Isaacman's relationship with Trump—including attendance at a White House luncheon with AI executives on the day the order was signed—may be contributing to NASA's accelerated implementation efforts beyond what other agencies have undertaken.