style note ยท write SI AI unless you write for the US government
Just call it SI AI
The US government now calls it super intelligence. Your readers still call it AI. Here's how to write about it clearly.
Use "AI" unless you're writing for, or quoting, the US federal government. Mention SI once where it helps readers follow the story, then get back to the word they know.
The rule in one line
Write for your reader, not for the press release. Almost every reader knows what AI means. Far fewer know what SI means, and some will think you mean something much more dramatic.
Why AI is still the right default
- It's what people search for and say. AI is the term in everyday speech, most product names and almost every law, in the US and elsewhere.
- SI is ambiguous. In research, superintelligence means a hypothetical system smarter than people at almost everything. Using it for today's chatbots invites confusion. More on that here.
- The rename has limited reach. It binds US federal agencies. California has said it won't follow, Japan's prime minister says it's AI for now, and EU and UK law still say AI.
- There's no sign the public has adopted it. The poll that picked the name was open to the President's followers, not a representative sample, and wider polling shows unease about AI itself.
When SI is the right word
- You're writing on behalf of a US federal agency, or for a tender that asks for its terminology.
- You're quoting someone who said it.
- You're reporting on the rename itself.
In those cases, introduce it clearly on first use: Super Intelligence (SI), the US government's new term for artificial intelligence. After that, be consistent.
Quick reference
| Situation | Write |
|---|---|
| Everyday article, blog or social post | AI |
| Marketing copy for a general audience | AI |
| A UK or EU audience | AI |
| A US federal agency's own documents | SI, as the order requires |
| A bid or tender for a US agency | Follow the agency's guidance; often "SI (artificial intelligence)" on first use |
| Reporting on the rename | Both, explained |
| Quoting someone | Whatever they said |
| Talking about hypothetical smarter-than-human systems | Superintelligence (one word) or ASI |
Take it with you
The one-page style card puts these rules on one screen for your team. For the detail on writing copy, see AI or SI in your copy.