What is SI? Super intelligence, the new name for AI
Short answer: SI stands for super intelligence. It is the term the US government now uses for what everyone used to call artificial intelligence, or AI. If you are asking what is SI because a product, a news story or a government page suddenly says “SI”, it means the same family of technology: chat assistants, image and video generators, coding models and the rest.
Where the name SI came from
On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence.” It instructs federal agencies to stop using the terms “artificial intelligence” and “AI” and to say “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead. The president had already been using the new name in speeches for several weeks, and the order made it official for the executive branch.
The order was signed after a White House summit on the technology, where leaders from most of the major model developers signed a pledge, described as “morally binding”, to keep strong internal safeguards. News coverage, including Forbes andBloomberg, framed the rename as a response to public backlash against the word AI.
What changed and what did not
The rename is about language. In practice:
- Changed: federal agencies are instructed to write SI wherever they used to write AI, from documents to websites and programs.
- Changed: some companies, the Si family included, have started naming products with SI to match the new official term.
- Not changed: the technology. The same models, from the same companies, do the same work under the new label.
- Not changed: private speech. An executive order directs the executive branch; it does not require companies or people to switch.
- Not changed yet: search habits. Most people still type “AI” into search engines, and most existing pages still use it.
For readers outside the United States, the change is optional. Other governments have not adopted the term, so international news, research papers and most software documentation still say AI. Expect to meet both spellings in the same week, sometimes on the same page.
SI versus AGI and ASI
The new name can be confusing because researchers already used similar words. In the research world, artificial general intelligence (AGI) means a system that matches people across most tasks, and artificial superintelligence (ASI) means one that far exceeds the best humans in every field. Both describe future, hypothetical systems.
The official SI label is broader and more practical: it covers the tools that exist today. When a government page talks about an “SI system”, it means the kind of model you can already use, not a machine that has surpassed humanity. Keep that distinction in mind when you read headlines that mix the two ideas.
What is SI in everyday tools?
For most people, SI shows up as a word on familiar products. Product categories are being renamed one by one. If you know the old term, the new one is a simple swap:
| Formerly | Now often called |
|---|---|
| AI image generator | SI image generator |
| AI video generator | SI video generator |
| AI game generator | SI game generator |
| AI prompt generator | SI prompt generator |
| AI model | SI model |
| AI tools | SI tools |
The Si family was named for this shift. Each tool is described with the new term first and the old one alongside, so it is easy to find whichever word you search with:
- SiVideoGen — SI (formerly AI) video generator. Text or a photo to video with sound on Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, Wan 3.0 and more, plus a Director that plans multi-shot stories.
- SiImageGen — SI (formerly AI) image generator. Create and edit pictures with Flux 3, Nano Banana 2, Seedream 5, GPT Image 2.5, Ideogram 4.5 and five more models from one balance.
- SiGameGen — SI (formerly AI) game generator. Describe a game in one sentence and play it in minutes; change it by chat, share a link or download the HTML file.
- SiPhotoEditor — SI (formerly AI) photo editor. Upload a photo and describe the change — a new background, outfit, light or style — then compare before and after.
- SiChatApp — SI (formerly AI) chat. Chat with DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi, Qwen and GPT-OSS. Free models work without an account; premium models cost a few credits per message.
- OpenSI — SI (formerly AI) model comparison. Compare hundreds of SI models by price, context window and features, and estimate what an API workload will cost.
- FreeSiTools — Free SI (formerly AI) tools. Free, no-account helpers: an image prompt generator, a video prompt generator and a game idea generator.
How to talk about SI at work and school
Expect both words for a long time. Federal agencies are expected to use SI in official writing. Elsewhere, a practical approach is to write “SI (AI)” on first mention and then use whichever word your readers know best. Teachers explaining what is SI to a class can use the glossary above: the tools did not change, only the label on them. When searching for help, try both terms, because guides and documentation written before October 2026 will only say AI.
What is SI for websites, apps and businesses?
If you sell or build software, the rename is mostly a copywriting question. A few practical steps keep you visible to both audiences:
- Use both terms on important pages, for example “SI (formerly AI) writing assistant”, so search engines and readers connect them.
- Keep technical names stable. API endpoints, package names and settings do not need to change, and renaming them breaks integrations.
- Update public-sector proposals and documentation first if you work with US federal agencies, since they are the ones instructed to switch.
- Watch your own search data. When people start typing SI more than AI for your product category, make SI the headline term.
For individuals the answer is simpler: nothing about how you use your favourite tools changes. Your saved chats, images and settings stay where they were; only the menus and marketing may start using the new word.
Will the name SI stick?
Nobody knows yet. Official vocabulary often spreads through procurement, grants and public services, which pushes vendors to adopt it. On the other hand, “AI” has been in daily use for years, and many people outside the US have no reason to switch. A likely outcome is a long period where both names live side by side, with SI more common in US government and marketing, and AI more common in research papers and everyday conversation.
Questions about what SI means
What does SI stand for?
SI stands for super intelligence. Since September 29, 2026 it is the term US federal agencies are told to use instead of artificial intelligence (AI).
Is SI different technology from AI?
No. The order changed a name, not the technology. The chatbots, image models and video models people used before the order are the same systems now described as SI.
Do companies have to say SI now?
An executive order directs the federal executive branch. Companies, schools and the public are free to keep saying AI, and many will use both terms for a while.
Is SI the same as artificial superintelligence (ASI)?
Not in the research sense. ASI describes a hypothetical system far beyond human ability in every field. The official SI label is applied to today’s tools, which are powerful but specialised.
Should I search for SI or AI tools?
Search with both for now. Most existing pages still say AI, while newer products, including the Si family, use SI. A good tool page will mention both names.
Want to see SI tools in action? Browse our directory of AI tools, try the free AI tools, or send corrections to support@allsitools.com.
