White House Orders Switch to Superintelligence
U.S. President Trump recently asked government agencies to change artificial intelligence to superintelligence in official documents and publicly said those who use the term AI are enemies, arguing the word artificial sounds fake. Reports noted Trump signed an executive order in late September last year requiring agencies to change terminology, showing political power directly intervening in the technology development path and narrative framework.
Silicon Valley Split, AI Remains Mainstream
Facing presidential pressure, some tech giants quickly adjusted their terminology. SpaceX renamed its AI division to SpaceX SI, and Tesla stated in its earnings report that SI refers to the AI technologies and activities previously described. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff renamed its platform to SIForce, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also used SI on social media. Other companies held their ground, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman saying the company will not rename, while Anthropic stuck with AI in its IPO filing. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been inconsistent, having used the term superintelligence but weeks later reiterating at an event in Berlin, Germany that every European company will become an AI company. According to Wall Street Journal analysis, only five S&P 500 companies used the term superintelligence in the past week, showing AI remains the industry standard.
Data Centers Face Headwinds Under Blue Wave
Meanwhile, results of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections added uncertainty for the AI industry. Democrats scored surprise wins in multiple states, and the blue wave came with growing local voter opposition to data center construction. According to reports, over 80% of Americans believe AI technology is developing too fast, and over 70% oppose building data centers in their communities. That sentiment showed in multiple local referendums, with U.S. voters in nationwide 41 data center-related ballot measures largely choosing to reject or restrict.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott, who had strongly promoted making the state an AI development hub, saw his Republican rival Ken Paxton ultimately defeated, with Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa winning the governorship after promising to pause data center development. Similar developments occurred in Georgia and 10 other states, where Democratic candidates pledged to address electricity price increases tied to data centers. Analyst Dan Ives predicted Democratic victories will slow U.S. AI infrastructure construction. In international capital flows, prominent venture firm Sequoia Capital closed its London office to refocus resources on its Silicon Valley headquarters, seen as evidence of growing U.S. dominance in AI.