Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, among the most prominent figures in technology, recently adapted to President Donald Trump’s directive by leveraging the term “super intelligence” during their companies’ third-quarter earnings calls. This move follows Trump’s executive order in September, which mandates that all government documents replace “artificial intelligence” with “super intelligence.” While the tech industry is generally innovative, this branding shift orchestrated by political influence has not been universally embraced.
Musk, leading Tesla and SpaceX, rebranded the AI division of his rocket company to SpaceXSI earlier this month. During Tesla’s earnings call, he underscored that their humanoid robots incorporate no advanced AI or SI, somewhat downplaying the terminology that has stirred considerable debate. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg emphasized Meta’s ambition to deliver “personal superintelligence,” though this concept has already been embedded within Meta, with the establishment of Meta Superintelligence Labs in the prior year.
Despite these alignments with Trump’s purpose, fellow titans like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet have retained the traditional “AI” in their communications. Andy Jassy of Amazon referenced “AI” numerous times during his recent earnings call, while Microsoft’s Satya Nadella highlighted designing AI as a cornerstone for empowering people. Sundar Pichai of Alphabet also maintained AI terminology, focusing on its impact on user growth.
This branding preference by Trump emerges ahead of the critical midterm elections, raising questions about its timing and political motivations. Notably, Trump is grappling with declining approval ratings, as shown by the most recent CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The terminology change appears designed to reinvigorate his technology policy footprint without imposing additional regulation on this burgeoning sector.
Further complicating the scenario, other technology players have started referencing “super intelligence” in various documents and communications. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, although absent from the White House luncheon, has incorporated “SI” into IBM’s communications alongside traditional AI. In contrast, Intel’s CEO echoed the unprecedented demand driven by “super intelligence,” highlighting some compliance within the industry concerning the branding shift.
Trump’s agenda to redefine AI terminology has not incited open defiance among tech CEOs utilizing “AI” and seems more aligned with political strategy rather than innovation policy. Yet, it emphasizes the importance of nomenclature within the field and how its interpretation could potentially shape future regulatory landscapes.
The alignment with Trump’s terminology by some leaders, such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Palo Alto Networks’ Nikesh Arora, reflects both a strategic alliance and ideological support. As more industry documents integrate “super intelligence,” it remains to be seen how this linguistic shift will affect the industry’s focus on innovation and ethical AI practices.
For a comprehensive insight into this development, the original article can be read here: [CNBC Original Article](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/30/trump-tech-allies-swap-ai-for-super-intelligence-in-earnings-calls.html).
