— AI, now also called SI
SI, AI, AGI, superintelligence: what each one means for your business.
Since September 29, 2026, the US federal government calls artificial intelligence "Super Intelligence", or SI. The technology did not change; the name did. Here is what SI means, how it differs from the research ideas of AGI and superintelligence, and what is worth doing about any of it this year.
What changed on September 29, 2026.
A US executive order, "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence", directs federal executive-branch agencies to say "Super Intelligence" and "SI" where they used to say "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" in official communications.
- For the order’s purposes, SI has the same meaning as “artificial intelligence” in existing US law. The definition did not move; the label did.
- Agencies are not required to rewrite regulations, contracts, grants, or other documents already issued.
- Statutory definitions stay as they are unless Congress acts. The order asks for proposed legislative language within 60 days.
- It governs federal communications. It does not tell private businesses what to call anything, and it has no effect in Canada, where AI (IA in French) remains the term.
Four terms people mix up.
Two of them describe tools you can use today. Two describe systems that do not exist yet.
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Artificial intelligence
Software that learns patterns from data to draft, summarize, classify, answer, and predict. ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and the assistants built on them are AI.
Definition -
Super Intelligence (US usage)
Since September 29, 2026, the US federal government’s name for the same AI. If a US agency document or a vendor says SI, read it as AI.
Definition -
Artificial general intelligence
A system that could learn and perform almost any intellectual task a person can. Several AI labs name it as a goal; whether any current system qualifies is disputed.
Definition -
Superintelligence (research sense)
A system that would exceed the best human ability in virtually every field. Some labs say openly that this is what they are building. None exists today.
Definition
What it changes for a small business.
This is general information, not legal advice.
- Read SI as AI in any document, contract, or sales pitch. A tool that was AI on September 28 is the same tool now.
- Expect vendors to rebrand. Ask what the product actually does, what data it reads, and who can see the output, whatever it is called.
- Keep your AI use policy. If you like, add one line saying it covers tools described as SI or Super Intelligence.
- US federal contractors: watch for SI in solicitations and map it to the AI controls you already have. If a contract turns on the definition, ask your counsel.
- In Canada nothing changes. AI, and IA in French, remain the terms in law and in government guidance.
The useful part: AI, or SI, that does real work.
Whatever the name, the work that pays off in a small business is the same. These are the four things we build and run.
- AI receptionist A voice and chat agent on your own number and site that answers, books, takes orders, and hands the hard calls to a person.
- Workflow automation Inbox triage, quote and invoice drafting, data entry, and CRM upkeep, with a person approving anything that leaves the building.
- Copilot, ChatGPT & Claude rollout The right assistant for your team, set up on business plans with sane data controls, a written use policy, and training built around real jobs.
- Private AI on your documents An assistant that answers from your own policies, manuals, and past work, cites the page it used, and stays inside your account.
Getting ready for whatever comes next.
Nobody can sell you superintelligence. What you can do is make sure your business can use more capable AI safely as it arrives, because the groundwork is the same at every level.
- Documents in order: current policies, procedures, and price lists in one place an assistant can read.
- Permissions tidy: people (and their AI tools) only see what they should.
- A one-page AI use policy staff actually read.
- A person approving anything that reaches a customer or moves money.
- Tools on business plans with data controls, not personal accounts.
- No lock-in: workflows and data you can move to a better model when one ships.
— Questions
SI questions we get.
Is SI the same as AI?
In the sense the US government now uses it, yes. The September 29, 2026 executive order replaces the words “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” with “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in federal communications, and gives SI the same meaning that “artificial intelligence” already has in US law. The tools are the same.
Is SI the same as superintelligence?
No. Superintelligence in the research sense, sometimes called artificial superintelligence or ASI, means a hypothetical system smarter than people at almost everything. It does not exist. SI as a US government term means today’s AI. The words overlap, so check which one a document means.
Do you offer Super Intelligence (SI) services?
Yes, in the sense the US government now uses the term: we set up and run AI, now also called SI, for small businesses. That means AI receptionists, workflow automation, Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude rollouts with staff training, and private AI on your own documents. We do not claim to build superintelligence in the research sense. No one can yet.
Does the order apply to Canadian businesses?
No. It governs US federal executive-branch communications. Canadian governments still use AI, and IA in French. If you sell to US federal agencies, expect to see SI in their documents.
Will AGI or superintelligence replace my staff?
Nobody knows when or whether those systems will exist, and predictions vary widely. What is true today is that current AI takes repetitive work off people’s plates. Businesses that use it well tend to answer more customers with the team they have rather than cut people.
Should I rename AI to SI on my own website or policies?
There is no requirement to. If your customers are US federal agencies, mentioning both terms can help them find you. Elsewhere, use the word your customers search for. Many people now search for both, which is why this page exists.
— Engage
AI or SI, start with one job.
Tell us which task eats your team’s week. We reply in writing within one business day with what today’s AI can and cannot do about it.