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Lesson 3 of 7 · about 5 minutes

What does "super intelligence" mean?

The big idea: People use "super intelligence" in two ways. It is the new name U.S. government agencies use for AI. It is also an idea about future AI that could be far more capable than today's.

Meaning 1: a new name for AI

On September 29, 2026, the President signed an order called "Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence." It tells federal government agencies to say Super Intelligence, or SI, instead of artificial intelligence, or AI. This is for their websites, reports, and other papers.

The order does not create a new kind of computer. For now, it uses the same meaning as the law from lesson 1. So when a government page says SI, it means the AI you learned about in lesson 1. The order also asks for ideas for a new meaning, so this could change.

You may start to see SI on government websites. One example is NIST, a government science agency.

Meaning 2: an idea about the future

Some people use the word in a bigger way. They imagine an AI much smarter than the best people at almost everything. A philosopher named Nick Bostrom described it that way in 1998.

Some companies talk about this goal. A company called Safe Superintelligence Inc. says its one goal is to build safe superintelligence. Meta has a team called Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Nobody knows if or when AI like that will exist. People disagree about it. That makes it a great question to think about!

Why people care

More capable AI could help scientists, doctors, and inventors. It could also be used to hurt people, or make mistakes that matter. That is why people work hard to keep AI safe. You will learn about that in lesson 6.

Try this: Talk it over

  1. With a grown-up or friends, talk about this: what would you want a super-smart AI to help with?
  2. What rules should it follow?
  3. Who should get to decide those rules?

Remember

  • U.S. government agencies now call AI "Super Intelligence," or SI.
  • Some people also use the word for a possible future AI that is far smarter than today's.
  • Nobody knows if or when that kind of AI will exist.

Quick quiz

Pick an answer to see if you got it. Nothing is saved.

  1. 1.In U.S. government agency writing since September 2026, what does SI stand for?
  2. 2.Did that order create a brand-new kind of computer?
  3. 3.Does anyone know for sure when AI smarter than people at everything will exist?

0 of 3 answered.

For grown-ups: sources and going further

Meaning 1 is Executive Order 14434, signed September 29, 2026 (91 FR 63129). To the extent the law allows, it applies to executive-branch documents, and it defines its terms by 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) unless and until that definition is superseded; it also asks for proposed legislative language for a federal definition within 60 days. Statutes themselves still say "artificial intelligence." Meaning 2 follows Nick Bostrom's 1998 paper, which defines a superintelligence as "an intellect that is much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field."

Written for readers about 8 to 12, last reviewed 2026-10-11. How these lessons were made.