Trump's AI Name Change Sparks Debate Over Focus and Meaning
WHO:
Fast Company - President Trump signed an executive order regarding AI terminology.
Fast Company - Elon Musk announced plans to rename his company SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI.
Fast Company - Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI.
Fast Company - Greg Brockman is the president of OpenAI.
WHAT:
Fast Company - Trump stated that anyone who doesn’t use the new name “superintelligence” is “the enemy.”
Fast Company - Elon Musk announced on October 4 that SpaceXAI would become SpaceXSI.
Fast Company - A poll conducted by Early Studies found that only 1 in 9 people think the rebrand will have a positive effect on the U.S.
Fast Company - The same poll indicated that 53% of Americans think people they know would not be comfortable calling the tech “superintelligence.”
Techmeme - The Trump administration is mandating that AI companies “immediately disclose incidents involving their models” and move swiftly to remedy harm from security incidents.
Fast Company - President Trump signed an executive order renaming AI to “SI,” or “superintelligence.”
Fast Company - The Justice Department instructed employees to use the new terminology in official documents.
Fast Company - OpenAI has “no plans” for a name change according to Sam Altman.
Fast Company - Brockman signed the White House’s “Accord on Super Intelligence” on behalf of OpenAI.
Fast Company - Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to the Trump-aligned political action committee MAGA Inc.
WHERE:
Fast Company - The executive order was signed at the White House.
WHEN:
Fast Company - The executive order was signed on September 29.
Fast Company - Sam Altman made his statement on a Politico podcast.
WHY:
Fast Company - Trump’s rebranding effort is part of an image rehabilitation strategy amid negative backlash to new data centers and privacy risks associated with frontier AI models.
Fast Company - Trump stated that the term “artificial intelligence” is misleading because it “makes it sound fake.”
Fast Company - The name change is part of an effort to improve the public image of AI amid negative backlash.
HOW:
Fast Company - The administration is enforcing the name change through official communications from government agencies.
(UPDATED October 10, 2026 11:56 UTC)
Trump has declared that anyone who refuses to adopt the new term "superintelligence" is considered "the enemy," as part of his strategy to improve his image amid criticism over new data centers and privacy concerns linked to frontier AI models. Meanwhile, Elon Musk recently announced that SpaceXAI will be rebranded as SpaceXSI, a move that has sparked mixed reactions from the public. A poll by Early Studies revealed that only one in nine people believe this rebranding will positively impact the U.S., and 53% of Americans feel that their acquaintances would be uncomfortable using the term "superintelligence."
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(UPDATED October 9, 2026 23:59 UTC)
The Trump administration is taking significant steps in the tech industry by mandating that AI companies immediately disclose any incidents involving their models. This new directive emphasizes the importance of swift action to remedy any harm resulting from security incidents. The move aims to enhance accountability and transparency within the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
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(UPDATED October 9, 2026 20:01 UTC)
President Trump has signed an executive order at the White House renaming "artificial intelligence" to "superintelligence," or "SI," stating that the previous term is misleading. The Justice Department is now instructing employees to adopt this new terminology in official documents, while OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman confirmed that the company has no plans for a name change. Additionally, Greg Brockman, the president of OpenAI, signed the White House’s “Accord on Super Intelligence” and he and his wife contributed $25 million to the Trump-aligned political action committee MAGA Inc.