SI vs. AI: What the New Name Means for Your Office (and What It Doesn't)

If you've been hearing "SI" lately and wondering whether you missed something, you're not alone. In the past few weeks, several clients have asked us whether they need to "switch to SI," or whether the AI tools we set up for them are now out of date. Here is the short, plain answer, followed by what it means for an office like yours.

What happened

On September 29, 2026, the President signed Executive Order 14434, "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence." It tells federal agencies to use the terms "Super Intelligence" and "SI" in place of "artificial intelligence" and "AI" in their websites, reports, and public communications.

The most important detail is in the order's own definition. "SI" means the same technologies already covered by the existing legal definition of artificial intelligence. Nothing about the tools changed. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, and the AI note-takers and phone assistants we deploy all work exactly as they did on September 28. Only the federal government's name for them changed.

Who is using "SI," and who isn't

Federal agencies are making the switch, and some high-profile tech leaders have publicly backed the new name. Elon Musk said his company would change "AI" to "SI" in its name. News reports say the heads of Salesforce, NVIDIA, and Microsoft also voiced support. Others, including OpenAI's Sam Altman, have kept saying "AI."

Most people haven't switched. A YouGov poll reported by Axios found that 53% of Americans prefer "artificial intelligence" and only 9% prefer "super intelligence." Searches for "super intelligence" in the U.S. jumped after the order, then dropped back down. We'll be honest: the shift is less than a month old, and so far it's mostly a government change, not something the whole industry has adopted.

Does this create any obligations for your business?

Based on what's been published, no. The order applies to federal agencies. It explicitly leaves existing regulations, contracts, and grants unchanged, and law firms that reviewed it say it creates no obligation for private companies. Your HIPAA duties, your state bar's ethics rules, and your professional-standards requirements still use their existing language. So do your business associate agreements, vendor contracts, and written policies.

One practical step: if a contract or policy refers specifically to "AI," don't rewrite it just to match the new name. Keep each document consistent with its own wording. If you work with federal agencies, expect their paperwork to start saying "SI," and ask them to confirm that the requirements haven't changed.

A word of caution about "super intelligence"

Before this order, "superintelligence" had a specific meaning in research: a hypothetical future system far smarter than any human. Researchers quoted in Nature describe that as aspirational, not something that exists today. The tools that draft your patient letters or summarize your meetings are useful, but they are not super-intelligent. They still make mistakes and still need a person to review their work.

That's why we're careful with the words. When you hear "SI," don't assume a new, more powerful, or riskier technology has arrived in your office. It's the same AI with a new federal label. The same questions still matter: Where does our data go? Who can see it? Is there a signed agreement with the vendor? Is a person checking the output?

What we're doing at SSG

We're going to keep saying "AI," because that's the word most of our clients use and search for. Where it helps, we'll mention "SI" alongside it so nobody gets confused when they hear the new term on the news. We aren't renaming our services. If the new term sticks, and especially once Congress or the courts settle on a formal definition, we'll update our language. Either way, the work stays the same: setting up AI tools so they're useful, secure, and appropriate for a regulated office.

The bottom line for you

• Nothing about your tools changed. Only the federal government's name for them did.
• No new compliance obligation comes from the name change itself.
• Keep your contracts and policies consistent with their existing wording.
• Keep asking the same safety questions, whatever the technology is called.

Want a clear picture of where you stand?

Whether you call it AI or SI, the questions that matter are the same: Which tools is your team already using? Is your client or patient data protected? Where could the right setup save you real hours each week? Our free AI Office Audit answers all three. Book yours with Barbara or Tim at steadysolutiongroup.com.