NASA has begun replacing mentions of artificial intelligence (AI) with the term 'superintelligence,' following an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump. This directive mandates that federal agencies use the new nomenclature in all official communications, without publicly acknowledging that the previous term has been replaced.
An internal document obtained by Space.com details an implementation plan structured in four phases, with modifications scheduled until December 23. This initiative covers websites, published materials, job titles, and the space agency's digital infrastructure. Among the planned technical changes, one was classified as capable of causing disruptions to existing software integrations.
This vocabulary change occurs while NASA intensifies the use of AI in its research and missions, such as autonomous vehicle navigation on Mars and the analysis of vast volumes of scientific data. Although the employed technologies are not being altered, the adaptation of terminology imposes new challenges for both scientific communication and the agency's digital systems.
NASA leadership has been adjusting the agency's priorities to align with the Trump administration's guidelines. Jared Isaacman, since assuming the role of administrator in December 2025, has advocated for the president's vision for space exploration, with a significant focus on crewed missions.
The connection between the two leaders has become visible in public events. On August 30, Trump unexpectedly called during a press conference about the launch of the Roman Space Telescope. A month later, Isaacman attended a lunch at the White House with more than a dozen AI industry executives, on the same day the president signed the order regarding superintelligence.
During a press conference on October 1, Isaacman expressed satisfaction with having participated in the meeting. Commenting on his position in the debate, he stressed that he is a representative of the space sector, not an AI expert, but emphasized the potential of superintelligence to transform the course of civilizations.
The administrator's willingness to accept the new vocabulary may have accelerated implementation within the agency. A NASA employee interviewed by Space.com described the internal pressure: 'We are receiving a lot of pressure from the administrator himself to act.'
The directive also prohibits any mention of the former name, including through transition phrases like 'SI, formerly known as AI.' Related terms, such as 'generative AI,' must be replaced with 'generative superintelligence.' Furthermore, the agency's communication must shift away from the concept of automation, focusing on how technologies expand human creativity and capability, as determined by the presidency.
The instructions cover all NASA centers and mission directorates, including collaborators and employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, USA. Specific technical expressions, such as machine learning, large language models, and chatbots, remain permitted. However, employees involved in the execution fear that this change could lead to misunderstandings.
A NASA employee familiar with the plan, speaking anonymously to Space.com, warned: 'There is concern that there will be a lot of confusion in the scientific community and the general public.'
In recordings of an internal communication meeting obtained by the outlet, other participants showed dissatisfaction with the inability to publicly justify the change. One employee commented: 'We shouldn't even use the term AI... They are talking about it as if it were Voldemort or Macbeth, with people calling it 'the technology that should not be named'.' Another participant highlighted the conceptual difference: 'Superintelligence and artificial intelligence have different meanings. The two things are already distinct.'
According to Space.com, the debate may escalate to the agency's top leadership through an anonymous suggestion channel, allowing employees to send their concerns directly to management. In response to the outlet, NASA stated that it is implementing a coordinated approach to integrate the directive into communications and digital resources, maintaining the functionality and accessibility of systems and services.
The agency also declared that it will maintain the communication of its discoveries, research, and technological advancements with complete accuracy and transparency. It is important to note that AI has been part of NASA's operations and scientific projects for years, whereas superintelligence generally describes hypothetical capabilities much more advanced than human cognitive limits. A practical example is the Perseverance rover, which explored Mars; in December 2025, it made its first traverse on the planet using routes planned with the aid of generative AI.
NASA also uses AI models to process large volumes of scientific data. One of these is Surya, developed in partnership with IBM, trained with nine years of the agency's heliophysics data to improve predictions about space weather and solar activity. The previous month, NASA and IBM announced another collaboration focused on studying the Moon, seeking to help researchers investigate the lunar surface for potential deposits of water ice. AI is also crucial for handling the large volume of data expected with the activation of the Roman Space Telescope.
These models, known as foundation models, remain within the technical expressions permitted by NASA's internal guidance. However, specific guidelines for scientific publications and research documents are still under development. The lack of definition creates uncertainty about how agency researchers will harmonize the new nomenclature with terminology established in universities, international scientific institutions, and other entities that may not follow the Trump order.
NASA's internal plan segments the adoption of the new nomenclature into four phases, with deadlines set between October 9 and December 23. Phase 1, already underway, focuses on priority websites and job titles, such as the case of Kevin Murphy, who began to be called interim chief of data and superintelligence, instead of interim chief of data and AI. Phase 2 covers high-traffic pages on nasa.gov and science.nasa.gov, as well as the change of the JPL AI group's address, which was moved up to the 16th. Phase 3 deals with more popular pages and the change of the Ask Sage platform's address, warning that this change may affect APIs and other pre-existing software integrations. Finally, Phase 4 includes updating lower-traffic websites, internal IT systems, and other agency tools, including old pages that will receive adjustments or archive notices, although original content such as recordings and transcripts will remain intact.