The Justice Department now speaks of “super intelligence,” but the questions remain.

Words matter. They shape how we think, what we fear, and what we hope for. When a government decides to change the name of a thing, it is not merely an act of vocabulary; it is an act of framing, an attempt to guide the public’s imagination toward a particular vision of the future.

The Justice Department has directed its employees to use the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence” in most circumstances, including in court filings when appropriate. The directive, issued by acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, follows an executive order from President Trump mandating the switch across federal agencies .

Under the memo, DOJ employees are to use “super intelligence” and the abbreviation “SI” in place of “AI” to the maximum extent permitted by law, in public communications, policy documents, and other official records . The directive extends even to court filings when the department deems it appropriate, a detail that carries particular weight given the Justice Department’s role in enforcing laws that increasingly touch upon algorithmic systems and automated decision-making.

The rationale offered by the administration is that the new terminology more accurately reflects the potential of the rapidly advancing technology . It is a linguistic choice that positions artificial intelligence not as a tool that mimics human cognition, but as something that surpasses it—a framing that carries implications for how the public perceives both the technology and the government’s role in regulating it.

Public perception of artificial intelligence has soured in recent months, following hacking incidents that have raised questions about safety and security . In this context, a rebranding might be seen as an attempt to reset the conversation, to replace anxiety with aspiration. Yet the underlying technology remains the same, and the questions it raises—about privacy, accountability, and the concentration of power—do not disappear with a change of name.

The directive has drawn quiet concern from some within the department, where the language of law is traditionally precise and where consistency in terminology can carry legal weight. Court filings are not marketing documents; they are records of legal argument, and the words chosen there can shape outcomes. Whether “super intelligence” will carry the same legal clarity as “artificial intelligence” remains an open question.

For now, the Justice Department will speak a new language, one that its leadership hopes will better capture the scale of what is coming. Whether the public will hear it as vision or as spin is a question only time and experience can answer.

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Sources: NBC News, Reuters, U.S. News & World Report, Miami Herald