'We are getting a lot of pressure from the administrator himself': How NASA is racing to obey Trump's 'Super Intelligence' order

President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence,” directs federal agencies to change their official vocabulary. Every mention of “artificial intelligence” must become “super intelligence,” and “AI” must become “SI.” The order applies across government communications.

The change covers more than public announcements. Agencies must use the new terms in official documents, presentations, exhibits, printed materials, interviews, and other content. The order also tells them not to acknowledge the terminology change through transitional language.

The technologies do not have to become more capable first. The order keeps the federal government’s existing definition of artificial intelligence, so systems already classified as AI can simply receive the new label. NASA’s implementation shows how a wording change can affect communications, style guides, websites, and software.

NASA is applying the new terminology across both external and internal operations. Its instructions require “super intelligence” and “SI” in new presentations, exhibits, printed materials, media interviews, and other material aimed at external audiences. Official employee communications are included too.

The policy also reaches NASA’s style guides, intra-agency websites, and IT systems referenced in public-facing communications or official materials. The Office of Communications and the Office of the Chief Information Officer are coordinating the work. They told employees to use the terms immediately.

This makes the rollout broader than a simple copy-editing exercise. NASA must update language across its public identity and internal systems while avoiding transitional wording. The agency says it already applies these technologies to mission planning, autonomous systems, scientific research, and complex-data analysis, so the renamed terminology will appear across many activities.

NASA’s planned effort is structured as four implementation phases. The schedule extends into December, giving the agency a defined period for changing terminology throughout its communications and digital environment. The work is not limited to one office or one website.

An internal document obtained by Space.com lists updates to NASA websites, publications, organizational titles, and digital infrastructure. NASA’s Office of Communications and Office of the Chief Information Officer distributed the schedule, which covers work for the agency’s multiple communications teams.

The scale matters because each change can affect related materials and systems. NASA must update new and existing official content while applying the vocabulary to internal communications and selected IT systems. The article does not provide a more specific staffing total or completion date than the four phases extending into December, but it shows a broad, agency-wide implementation.

A “breaking change” is a technical update that can make existing software connections incompatible. In NASA’s case, the planned terminology changes include at least one update expected to disrupt existing software integrations. Systems that depend on earlier names or formats may no longer work without adjustments.

The article does not identify the specific integration or explain exactly how the change will be implemented. It does establish that NASA’s digital infrastructure is part of the rollout, alongside websites, publications, organizational titles, and style guides. That makes the impact broader than replacing words in documents.

The immediate consequence could be extra work for teams maintaining connected software and official systems. They may need to update code, interfaces, or dependent content. NASA is changing the labels for technologies already in use, rather than introducing new capabilities, so the disruption comes from compatibility requirements rather than a change in what the systems can do.

The federal government’s existing definition of artificial intelligence covers machine-based learning systems capable of making predictions, recommendations, or decisions. It describes what the technology does, rather than requiring a particular brand name or level of performance.

Trump’s order keeps that definition while changing the official terminology. A system already classified as artificial intelligence can therefore be designated “super intelligence” or “SI” without demonstrating additional capabilities. The naming change does not automatically create a new technical category.

This distinction matters because the article describes a policy and communications shift, not a technology upgrade. NASA’s systems can continue performing the same tasks while receiving the new label. The agency is expanding its use of these technologies in mission planning, autonomous systems, scientific research, and complex-data analysis, but the order itself does not require those systems to become more advanced.

NASA is already using artificial intelligence across missions and research. The article highlights autonomous Mars rover navigation and models that analyze enormous amounts of scientific data. These systems help the agency handle complex tasks and large information sets.

The agency also says it applies “SI” to mission planning, autonomous systems, scientific research, and the analysis of complex datasets. The key mechanism is machine-based learning that can make predictions, recommendations, or decisions under the federal definition retained by the executive order.

The technology itself is not changing because of the naming policy. NASA’s existing tools will continue supporting exploration and research while official communications describe them with the new terminology. As the agency expands their use, the label will appear across more missions, programs, publications, and systems, potentially increasing the need for consistent updates throughout NASA’s digital infrastructure.

An executive order is a formal direction from the president to agencies within the executive branch. It can tell those agencies how to carry out government operations within the authority of the presidency and existing law. Here, Trump used one to direct agencies’ official terminology.

NASA is subject to the order because it is part of the executive branch. The article states that the agency is obliged to abide by executive orders. NASA’s Office of Communications and Office of the Chief Information Officer therefore created an implementation schedule and instructed employees to use “super intelligence” and “SI” immediately.

The order’s effect reaches internal and external communications, websites, style guides, publications, and related IT systems. NASA leadership has also aligned with the administration’s agenda, according to the article. As a result, the agency must carry out the terminology change even though the underlying technologies remain the same.