{"id":164470,"date":"2026-10-06T13:41:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/10\/06\/department-of-justice-ordered-to-call-artificial-intelligence-si-to-satisfy-donald-trump-fever-dreams\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T21:41:33","slug":"department-of-justice-ordered-to-call-artificial-intelligence-si-to-satisfy-donald-trump-fever-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/10\/06\/department-of-justice-ordered-to-call-artificial-intelligence-si-to-satisfy-donald-trump-fever-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Department Of Justice Ordered To Call Artificial Intelligence \u2018SI\u2019 To Satisfy Donald Trump Fever Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

NBC News reports<\/a> that the Trump administration has ordered the Justice Department to officially transition to referring to artificial intelligence as \u201csuper intelligence,\u201d the new branding Trump imposed upon the technology in an executive order that misspelled \u201cUnited States.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Hm\u2026 AI probably could\u2019ve caught that.<\/p>\n

The new term was apparently concocted to allow Trump to deflect from the growing unease around the technology. On the day of the announcement, when reporters asked Trump about liability for mounting stories about AI agents autonomously hacking other entities, the president waved off the question, explaining that it\u2019s now called SI. He did not address what happens when \u201cSI\u201d agents start hacking.<\/p>\n

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The DOJ report isn\u2019t particularly surprising. The executive order imposed the name change on all federal agencies and the Justice Department would logically fall under that umbrella. Still, the specific entreaty to DOJ employees suggests the administration is eager to see if this linguistic switcheroo can change the public mood around AI. <\/p>\n

One would think Trump\u2019s political instincts would smell the blood in the water and turn his rhetoric against the AI industry. But Trump sees AI as a potential cash cow for himself personally, preferring to milk the industry for personal gain even if it drags down his political prospects.<\/p>\n

Bloomberg Law News<\/a> reviewed the memo to DOJ staff:<\/p>\n

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Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, referencing Trump\u2019s Sept. 29 executive order<\/a> directing federal agencies to adopt this terminology, relayed the instructions to DOJ employees Tuesday in a memo reviewed by Bloomberg Law.<\/p>\n

In addition to citing the Trump order\u2019s requirement that Super Intelligence be used \u201cto the maximum extent permitted by law\u201d in their government duties, McCotter said the policy extends to attorney filings in court.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This will, of course, create an unnecessary hassle for lawyers and judges as the government begins polluting the record with \u201cSI\u201d when everyone else \u2014 and, importantly, all the evidence \u2014 refers to \u201cAI.\u201d Most lawyers will, presumably, stick with reality as the government indulges its mad king. But not all<\/em> lawyers.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the next test of spinelessness. We\u2019ve already had the Biglaw surrender deals<\/a> and the cowardly website edits<\/a>. Now we get to sit back and see which law firms and tech vendors decide to talk about \u201csuperintelligence\u201d in anything but the most deeply sarcastic tones.<\/p>\n

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You can tell all these ai CEOs are total dweebs because SI stands for Sports Illustrated to anyone who\u2019s had consensual sex before<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stacy Cay (@stacycay) October 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cConsensual\u201d seems to be doing the heavy lifting for at least one key figure in this executive order.<\/p>\n

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\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Department Of Justice Ordered To Call Artificial Intelligence \u2018SI\u2019 To Satisfy Donald Trump Fever Dreams<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NBC News reports<\/a> that the Trump administration has ordered the Justice Department to officially transition to referring to artificial intelligence as \u201csuper intelligence,\u201d the new branding Trump imposed upon the technology in an executive order that misspelled \u201cUnited States.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Hm\u2026 AI probably could\u2019ve caught that.<\/p>\n

The new term was apparently concocted to allow Trump to deflect from the growing unease around the technology. On the day of the announcement, when reporters asked Trump about liability for mounting stories about AI agents autonomously hacking other entities, the president waved off the question, explaining that it\u2019s now called SI. He did not address what happens when \u201cSI\u201d agents start hacking.<\/p>\n