California directs agencies to retain ‘artificial intelligence’ terminology

California Governor Gavin Newsom has directed state agencies to continue calling the technology “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI”, mocking US President Donald Trump’s reported decision to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead. Newsom announced the move on Thursday in a post on X, saying he had “permanently” declared the technology “Artificial Intelligence” in California. The executive order, dated September 30, applies to agencies and departments under the governor’s authority.

The order says those agencies must use “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI”, regardless of terminology adopted by the federal government, unless the conventional terms would be inconsistent with the law. It creates a terminology difference between California and federal agencies. Newsom’s order said changing the name of the technology could not distract from what it described as unresolved artificial-intelligence safety and security risks.

It also referred to California’s role in AI innovation and its efforts concerning safety, security and consumer privacy. The move followed Trump’s announcement during a September 22 address to the United Nations General Assembly that US government communications would replace “Artificial Intelligence” with “Super Intelligence”. Trump said the word “artificial” made intelligence sound fake and indicated that the abbreviation would be “SI”.

The reported federal change followed a social-media poll in which alternative names included “Superior Intelligence”, “Extreme Intelligence” and “Supreme Intelligence”. The terminology dispute comes amid wider debate about how governments should balance innovation with safety, regulation and oversight.