Trump DOJ Super Intelligence Order: AI Renamed Across Federal Agencies

• The Trump administration ordered the Department of Justice to refer to artificial intelligence as “super intelligence.”
• This mandate originated from a September 29 executive order applying the new terminology to all federal agencies.
• Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter instructed DOJ employees to use “Super Intelligence” in government duties and attorney filings.
• The new branding was reportedly intended to deflect public unease surrounding AI technology.
• The directive is expected to create inconsistencies in legal documents, as “Artificial Intelligence” remains the widely accepted term.

The directive mandates the use of 'Super Intelligence' to the maximum extent permitted by law, extending this policy even to attorney filings in court, which is expected to introduce significant friction into legal proceedings.

The Trump administration issued a directive requiring the Department of Justice (DOJ) to officially refer to artificial intelligence (AI) as “super intelligence” (SI). This new terminology was imposed across all federal agencies through an executive order dated September 29, which notably contained a misspelling of “United States.”

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter communicated these instructions to DOJ employees in a memo reviewed by Bloomberg Law News. The memo explicitly referenced the executive order's requirement for federal agencies to adopt this new branding. The directive underscores a broader effort by the administration to standardize the language used when discussing advanced technological capabilities within government operations.

This mandate extends beyond internal departmental communications. McCotter's memo clarified that the use of “Super Intelligence” is required “to the maximum extent permitted by law” in all government duties, a policy that also encompasses attorney filings submitted in court. This broad application signals a significant shift in official nomenclature for legal and regulatory documents involving federal entities.

The introduction of the term “Super Intelligence” was reportedly conceived as a strategy to divert attention from growing public apprehension regarding artificial intelligence. On the day the executive order was announced, when reporters questioned President Trump about liability issues stemming from AI agents autonomously engaging in hacking activities, he dismissed the concerns by stating the technology was now called SI. He did not, however, elaborate on potential liabilities should “SI” agents undertake similar actions.

Despite the administration's apparent eagerness to influence public perception through this linguistic change, President Trump's personal view of AI appears to be primarily economic. He reportedly perceives the industry as a substantial source of personal financial gain, prioritizing this potential benefit even if it could negatively impact his political standing. This perspective suggests a complex motivation behind the rebranding effort, blending public relations with personal interest.

The directive for the Department of Justice to use “Super Intelligence” in attorney filings is anticipated to create considerable challenges for legal professionals and the judiciary. While the federal government will begin incorporating “SI” into official records, the broader legal community, and indeed most evidence, continues to refer to the technology as “Artificial Intelligence.” This discrepancy is expected to introduce an unnecessary layer of complexity and potential ambiguity into legal documentation and court proceedings.

Legal experts foresee that many attorneys will likely adhere to the widely recognized term “Artificial Intelligence” given its established usage and clarity. However, the mandate raises questions about compliance and the potential for some legal firms and technology vendors to adopt the new “Super Intelligence” terminology in their interactions with federal agencies, potentially leading to inconsistencies across the legal landscape. The shift represents a unique test for how the legal system will navigate a federally imposed linguistic change that diverges from common industry parlance.

Lawyers and compliance officers should be aware of the mandated 'Super Intelligence' (SI) terminology for federal agencies, particularly the DOJ, as it may lead to inconsistencies in legal documents and court filings where 'Artificial Intelligence' (AI) is the common term. This requires careful consideration when drafting or reviewing documents involving federal entities to avoid ambiguity or ensure compliance with the new directive.

Source: Reporting via NBC News and Bloomberg Law.