Executive Order 14434: Inaugurating the era of Super Intelligence

Posted: 2026-10-09 16:01:52   Expired: 2026-10-16 16:01:52

The EO directs and requires federal agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in official correspondence.

Released on September 29, 2026, the EO is a federal terminology directive with a pathway toward possible legal changes. While it does not mandate renaming university AI programs, revising existing awards, or changing research methods, it does note that researchers may encounter “SI” instead of “AI” in future agency communications, policy documents, and funding-related materials. Initially, that label would cover the same technologies as the existing statutory AI definition.

The key developments to monitor are agency implementation guidance and the proposed statutory definition, because those could clarify whether the change remains largely linguistic or becomes substantive.

Currently, proposals can continue to use AI, but the PI may need work with the program officer to make edits if an award is made (e.g., change wording in the abstract).

Existing grants and contracts
The order does not require existing grants or contracts to be rewritten. It also does not itself change award amounts, research objectives, reporting schedules, or eligibility requirements. The important distinction is between a change in how agencies describe research and a change in the terms governing that research. The supplied text directly addresses the former, but does not establish the latter.

Research communication and scientific precision
The EO uses “Super Intelligence” in two different ways: its purpose section describes a transformative new era of technology, while its operative definition initially encompasses the technologies already defined in law as AI. For university communications, that distinction matters. Describing federally supported work as “SI research” under this policy would not, by itself, demonstrate that the research has achieved the advanced capabilities described in the purpose section. 

-- NDSU Research and Creative Activity: Fred Hudson