# Super Intelligence Statutory Definition: 15 U.S.C. 9401 and the 2026 Timeline

Federal agencies now use the term Super Intelligence to describe systems defined under 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). Under Executive Order 14434, federal Super Intelligence and artificial intelligence refer to the identical statutory baseline while the White House awaits draft legislative proposals due on November 28, 2026. This guide breaks down the statutory text, the 2026 timeline, and operational impacts for teams handling federal documentation.

Source: https://fast.io/resources/super-intelligence-statutory-definition/
Author: [Derek Labian](https://fast.io/authors/derek-labian/)
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08

## What Executive Order 14434 Changes for Federal AI Terminology

[Executive Order 14434](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/), signed on September 29, 2026, directs executive branch agencies to use Super Intelligence in place of artificial intelligence; for now, it does not change which technologies the term covers. Under Section 2(a) of the order, executive departments and agencies are directed to use "Super Intelligence" and the abbreviation "SI" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" across official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents, and non-statutory records.

The term SI carries multiple meanings outside government administration. In science and medicine, SI stands for the International System of Units (Système International d'Unités) and refers to the sacroiliac joint. In commercial media, SI is a long-standing abbreviation for Sports Illustrated. Within federal policy contexts, SI now refers specifically to administrative terminology for computing systems.

Understanding this federal directive requires distinguishing between two distinct concepts that share similar wording:

1. **Federal Super Intelligence (SI).** An administrative designation established by presidential executive order for existing computing systems and applications used across government agencies. It is two words, capitalized, and covers the same technologies as the definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
2. **Laboratory superintelligence (often abbreviated ASI).** A hypothetical future system that would surpass the best human experts in nearly every field, a stage usually placed beyond artificial general intelligence (AGI). Research organizations including Safe Superintelligence Inc., Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft's MAI Superintelligence Team explicitly pursue this milestone as an engineering objective. This technology does not exist today.

The federal terminology shift does not mean executive agencies have deployed superhuman software. Instead, the order applies the title Super Intelligence to the algorithms, data pipelines, predictive models, and automated software tools that federal personnel and contractors operate every day. Section 2(b) of the order explicitly notes that agencies do not need to revise previously issued regulations, historical Presidential actions, existing contracts, grants, or legacy archives. Ongoing procurements and active contracts remain valid under their executed wording.

### Two Independent Concepts Behind Similar Labels

Confusing federal administrative vocabulary with computer science research benchmarks creates compliance friction and unrealistic expectations. When an agency solicitation references Super Intelligence requirements, it is not requesting hypothetical ASI models capable of autonomous scientific discovery. It is referring to conventional automated software, statistical classifiers, computer vision tools, and language models governed by federal procurement rules.

The table below contrasts the distinct frameworks currently operating in parallel:

| Dimension | Federal Super Intelligence (SI) | Laboratory Superintelligence (ASI) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Domain | Executive branch administration and procurement | Frontier computer science research and theory |
| Legal Status | Established by Executive Order 14434 | Unregulated hypothetical future capability |
| Current Reality | Operational in production systems across agencies | Non-existent; active theoretical research goal |
| Technical Standard | Defined by reference to 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) | Hypothetical performance exceeding human experts |
| Scope of Authority | Executive branch non-statutory communications | Private research laboratories and academic consortia |

By keeping these categories separate, technical leads and policy analysts can evaluate federal announcements without confusing a change in terminology with an advance in software capabilities.

## How 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) Defines Federal Super Intelligence

The legal cornerstone of the federal policy is Section 3(a) of Executive Order 14434. The text specifies that for the purposes of the order, the terms Super Intelligence and SI mean the technologies and systems encompassed by the definition of artificial intelligence in [15 U.S.C. 9401(3)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/9401).

Congress codified that statutory definition in the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (enacted as Division E of Public Law 116-283). Under 15 U.S.C. 9401(3), the statutory benchmark reads:

"The term 'artificial intelligence' means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments. Artificial intelligence systems use machine and human-based inputs to: (A) perceive real and virtual environments; (B) abstract such perceptions into models through analysis in an automated manner; and (C) use model inference to formulate options for information or action."

Because Section 3(a) directly imports this statute, federal SI and federal AI share the identical legal definition. Every system that met the definition of artificial intelligence under 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) prior to September 29, 2026 falls within the scope of Super Intelligence today.

### The Functional Structure of the Federal Definition

The statutory text in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) establishes a three-part operational model rather than a capability threshold or intelligence quotient:

* **Perception:** The software ingests structured data, sensor feeds, text corpora, or imagery from real or virtual environments.
* **Abstraction:** The software processes inputs through automated computational analysis to construct mathematical representations or models.
* **Inference:** The software applies those models to generate discrete recommendations, classifications, predictions, or automated actions aligned with human-defined objectives.

Notice what the statutory text omits. It establishes no benchmark tests, no autonomy thresholds, and no comparison against human cognitive abilities. The definition is broad: depending on how a system meets the statutory criteria, it can reach anything from forecasting and document-processing models to large language models.

Under Section 3(a) of Executive Order 14434, Super Intelligence is defined, for purposes of the order, as the technologies and systems covered by the definition of 'artificial intelligence' in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). No statute defines Super Intelligence, and the order's definition applies until later Presidential action or an Act of Congress supersedes it.

### Comparing Statutory Text Against Federal Communications

The presidential order creates an administrative duality across the United States government. The United States Code continues to use the phrase artificial intelligence across hundreds of sections because an executive order cannot alter statutory text passed by Congress. Meanwhile, agencies have begun using Super Intelligence in their own public materials; NSF, for example, has a Super Intelligence page and says it is updating its communications as directed.

Understanding this dual-track structure helps teams avoid common drafting mistakes:

* **Statutory references:** When citing formal legislation, grant authorizations, or federal statutes, contractors and agencies continue to cite 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) directly.
* **Agency communications:** When communicating with executive department personnel or preparing public deliverables for an agency, using Super Intelligence and SI aligns with the agency's internal drafting mandates.
* **Technical parity:** Audits, risk assessments, and model cards prepared under the voluntary NIST AI Risk Management Framework remain relevant to systems an agency now calls SI.

## Why the November 28, 2026 Deadline Is an Internal Proposal Rather Than Enacted Law

Section 3(b) of Executive Order 14434 establishes an internal administrative deadline that has become a source of confusion among industry observers. The order directs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST), in consultation with agency leaders, to submit proposed legislative language for a federal statutory definition of Super Intelligence to the President within 60 days of the order.

Because the order was signed on September 29, 2026, that 60-day window concludes on November 28, 2026. November 28, 2026 is not a statutory enactment date or an enforcement date. It is the deadline for delivering proposed legislative language to the President.

The executive order directs the APST proposal to include three specific components:

1. **Scope Assessment:** An evaluation assessing whether and to what degree a new statutory definition of Super Intelligence and SI should modify, expand upon, or supersede the definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
2. **Conforming Amendments:** Proposed statutory amendments to harmonize references to artificial intelligence and AI across existing titles of the United States Code.
3. **Executive Recommendations:** Suggested follow-on presidential actions, directives, or agency guidance necessary to implement any proposed definitions across the executive branch.

As of October 2026, no statutory definition of Super Intelligence has been enacted by Congress. The contents of the upcoming White House proposal remain under internal executive development.

### How Federal Legislative Enactment Works

The President cannot create a statutory definition by executive order. Article I of the United States Constitution assigns all legislative powers to Congress. An executive order can establish administrative policy for executive agencies, but creating a binding statutory term requires congressional action.

The procedural path for any new statutory definition follows a multi-stage legislative sequence:

1. **Executive Drafting:** The APST and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) draft proposed statutory text by November 28, 2026.
2. **Presidential Review:** The President reviews the recommendations and decides whether to formally transmit the draft language to Capitol Hill as an administration proposal.
3. **Congressional Introduction:** A member of the House of Representatives or the Senate introduces the language as a bill or incorporates it into an authorization package, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) or a commercial science bill.
4. **Committee Consideration:** The bill is referred to committees with relevant jurisdiction, such as the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Committees hold hearings, draft amendments, and conduct markups.
5. **Floor Votes and Enactment:** Both chambers of Congress must pass identical statutory text, which then returns to the President for signature.

Until Congress passes such legislation, or later Presidential action supersedes the order's definition, SI under the order means what 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) defines as artificial intelligence.

## What Federal Contractors Must Know About Procurement Requirements

For federal contractors, grantees, and vendors, Executive Order 14434 introduces administrative updates rather than immediate technical restructuring. Section 4(c) of the order provides that it is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity against the United States. The order issues instructions exclusively to executive branch agencies; it contains no direct legal mandate compelling commercial software vendors or private enterprises to rename their commercial products.

Federal contractors and compliance teams should observe four operational considerations when preparing documentation for federal clients:

* **Review Active Solicitations:** Check newly released Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and performance work statements. If an agency adopts SI and Super Intelligence terminology in its evaluation criteria, mirror that terminology in your proposal narrative while cross-referencing statutory authorities.
* **Maintain Existing Contract Language:** Section 2(b) confirms that existing contracts, grants, and task orders do not require modification. If your contract specifies AI risk management or AI technical deliverables, that contract language remains legally binding until formally modified.
* **Avoid Renaming Commercial Offerings:** Commercial platforms do not need to rebrand their market-facing software as Super Intelligence. Commercial terminology remains a private business decision. When delivering deliverables to an agency, note in your compliance matrix that technical solutions deliver the capabilities defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
* **Confirm Requirements with Contracting Personnel:** If an agency solicitation leaves terminology ambiguous, submit a formal pre-bid question or consult the contracting officer (CO) and contracting officer's representative (COR). Do not make unilateral assumptions regarding compliance obligations.

### Managing Regulatory Ambiguity in Proposals and Grant Applications

When preparing grant applications for agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), or the Department of Defense (DOD), teams often encounter overlapping vocabularies. A program solicitation may cite Executive Order 14434 and refer to Super Intelligence in its introductory narrative, while the underlying grant authorization statute refers to artificial intelligence under Title 15.

To maintain precision in technical proposals, address the terminology directly in your executive summary. State that the proposed system satisfies the statutory definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3) and addresses the agency's Super Intelligence program objectives. Referring to both terms keeps the proposal clear to reviewers without taking a position on future legislative changes.

## How Teams Organize Regulatory Documentation and Model Outputs in Fast.io

Tracking federal policy shifts, procurement amendments, model cards, and agency deliverables requires organized workspaces that maintain clean document histories. Fast.io provides a centralized workspace platform where organizations, legal teams, and technical contractors manage compliance archives, contract packages, and AI agent outputs with granular security controls.

Teams can establish dedicated org-owned [shared workspaces](/product/workspaces/) for each government contract vehicle or federal agency account. Permissions are set per organization, workspace and share; a share gives an outside party access to only the files or folder placed in it.

Fast.io supports regulatory documentation workflows through several practical capabilities:

* **Activity Log:** A detailed activity log records document uploads, file changes, and permission and membership changes.
* **Per-File Version History:** Every update to a policy document, proposal draft, or model evaluation sheet is stored as a distinct version. Teams can inspect earlier drafts, compare edits, or restore prior versions when agency solicitations undergo revisions.
* **Metadata Views:** Teams can convert contract libraries and RFP archives into queryable tabular databases using natural language field definitions through [Metadata Views](/product/document-data-extraction/). Fast.io automatically extracts key fields, such as solicitation numbers, submission dates, agency contacts, and compliance clauses, from PDF, Word, and scanned documents.
* **Notes:** Team members and technical writers can keep compliance matrices, proposal sections, and system descriptions as notes in the workspace, next to the files they reference.
* **E-Signature:** Route teaming agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and contract certifications for electronic signature directly from the workspace with [e-signature](/product/e-signature/). Signers can execute documents in sequence or parallel with optional passcode verification, and completed envelopes return to the matter folder with a tamper-evident audit certificate.
* **Model Context Protocol (MCP) Integration:** AI coding tools and personal agents can connect to workspaces through Streamable HTTP at `https://mcp.fast.io/mcp/tools` for general applications or `https://mcp.fast.io/mcp/code` for developer agents, allowing agents to read reference materials and deposit deliverables within scoped permissions via [storage for agents](/storage-for-agents/).

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## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a federal statutory definition of Super Intelligence?

No statutory definition of Super Intelligence exists in the United States Code as of October 2026. Executive Order 14434 establishes an administrative definition for executive agencies by linking Super Intelligence directly to the existing statutory definition of artificial intelligence in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). Only an Act of Congress can amend federal statutes.

### What is the November 28, 2026 Super Intelligence deadline?

November 28, 2026 marks the 60-day internal deadline under Section 3(b) of Executive Order 14434 for the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to submit proposed legislative language for a federal definition of Super Intelligence to the President. It is an internal executive reporting deadline, not an enactment date or a commercial compliance deadline.

### How does 15 U.S.C. 9401 define artificial intelligence?

Under 15 U.S.C. 9401(3), artificial intelligence is defined as a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments by perceiving environments, abstracting perceptions into models through automated analysis, and using model inference to formulate options for action.

### Does Executive Order 14434 require private companies to rename their AI products?

No. Executive Order 14434 applies exclusively to departments and agencies within the federal executive branch. It does not regulate commercial speech, private enterprise software branding, or internal corporate terminology.

### How does federal Super Intelligence differ from artificial superintelligence (ASI) discussed by research labs?

Federal Super Intelligence (SI) is an administrative label for existing computing systems that meet the statutory definition in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3). Laboratory superintelligence (ASI) is a hypothetical computer science milestone describing software that exceeds human expert performance across all intellectual domains, which does not exist today.

## Sources

- [The White House: Executive Order 14434](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/): Under Executive Order 14434, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology must submit proposed legislative language for a federal definition of Super Intelligence within 60 days of September 29, 2026.
- [Adjective: Super Intelligence and AI: Two Terms, One Definition](https://www.adjective.us/blog/super-intelligence-artificial-intelligence-terminology): The 60-day timeline established by Executive Order 14434 concludes on November 28, 2026.

## About Fast.io

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