Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg now say 'super intelligence' on earnings calls, following Trump's order. Expect the new label in pitches, but check what a tool does.
Two of tech's best-known CEOs have started saying 'super intelligence' where most people say AI. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used the new term on their latest earnings calls, a month after President Trump ordered it used in federal agencies. Several other big tech leaders kept saying AI.
Trump gave the order on Sept. 29 at a White House AI lunch with industry leaders. It covers executive branch departments and agencies. This week he said on Truth Social that he is banning AI or artificial intelligence in 'all relevant documents' and 'everything else.'
Earlier in October, Musk renamed SpaceX's AI division SpaceXSI. On Tesla's call, talking about humanoid robots, he said some 'look very impressive, but they're not really using any kind of advanced AI or SI.' On Oct. 21, Zuckerberg spoke of Meta's 'goal of delivering personal superintelligence to everyone.' Meta already had a unit called Meta Superintelligence Labs, created last year.
That does not mean they are openly defying the president. Microsoft's annual report, filed last week, used 'super intelligence' eight times, starting at the top of the letter to shareholders. IBM's Arvind Krishna used both terms on his call. Intel's Lip-Bu Tan blamed the chip supply shortage on 'unprecedented demand for super intelligence.'
Some leaders have been openly supportive. Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto Networks has repeatedly said 'SI' on CNBC and called the White House meeting 'an epic moment.' Nvidia's Jensen Huang praised the 'White House Accord on Super Intelligence' on X. The push also comes just ahead of next week's midterm elections.
Expect the new term to show up in product pitches, company reports and earnings calls. Nothing in the reporting says the technology itself changed. It looks mostly like a new label. When a company says its tool uses super intelligence, ask what the tool actually does and whether it does it well.
'Super intelligence' is turning up everywhere, but it is mostly a new label, so judge any tool by what it actually does.
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