Jeff Bezos Calls for Rebranding Artificial Intelligence as Super Intelligence

Changing how the public perceives artificial intelligence has become part of the debate over the technology's name. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos favors replacing the abbreviation AI with SI, short for super intelligence, arguing that the word artificial carries negative associations with synthetic products. His position reflects a naming strategy aimed at changing how people respond to the technology.

According to Boing Boing's October 8, 2026, report, Bezos's preference follows Donald Trump's lead in promoting the alternative terminology. The report focuses on the argument that artificial can suggest something fake or inferior rather than an advanced form of intelligence. Bezos's reasoning centers on familiar consumer products whose labels use the same adjective.

The comparison draws on artificial sweeteners and artificial flavorings, which provide examples of how the term can influence perceptions independently of a product's intended function.

Bezos prefers the term SI because he believes removing artificial from the abbreviation could make the technology sound less synthetic. The report presents this as a branding argument rather than evidence that changing the terminology would alter the underlying capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Boing Boing also compares the proposed terminology change with other technology industry efforts to influence public behavior through language and product guidance. Its commentary questions whether changing a label can address the reasons people may dislike a technology or service. The report uses the comparison to highlight the difference between renaming a technology and changing public attitudes toward it. It does not provide survey results, adoption figures, or other quantitative evidence measuring whether the proposed terminology has affected public opinion.