President Donald Trump's initiative to rebrand artificial intelligence as "super intelligence" has triggered what officials describe as an "unprecedented" spike in registrations for Slovenian web domain names, according to the country's national registry authority.
The president has advocated for the technology sector to adopt the term "super intelligence"—abbreviated as SI—which coincides with the country code for Slovenian websites. Registry SI spokesperson Klara Herman reported that 44,000 web addresses bearing the .si suffix were registered during September, a dramatic jump from fewer than 2,000 in August, representing a surge of approximately 2,199%.
Herman characterized the registration activity in late September as "unprecedented" relative to the same period in the previous year. According to reporting on the surge, more than 2,000 .si domains were registered on the day of Trump's UN address, with registrations climbing to more than 4,000 the following day.
Trump delivered his call for the terminology shift during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 11 September.
"The use of the word artificial makes it sound fake," he stated. "It's not fake, it's actually amazing. But we have to be careful... welcome to the new world of super intelligence."
Internet domains function as the human-readable addresses that users enter into web browsers to access websites—comparable to bbc.co.uk for a hypothetical example. Herman acknowledged that while the September registrations stood out "very clearly" against activity in other months, she remained "cautious" about attributing the entire increase solely to Trump's public statements. On 30 September alone, 11,000 new registrations were processed.
Why are people buying these domains?
One leading explanation for the surge involves cyber-squatting, a practice in which individuals purchase specific domain names speculatively, betting that their value will appreciate and allow for profitable resale. The strategy has historical precedent: in 1997, domain investor Rick Schwartz, nicknamed "The Domain King," acquired men.com for $15,000 (£11,300) and sold it seven years later for $1.32 million.
Before the late-September spike, Slovenia's registry had already reached a milestone, with total registered .si domains surpassing 200,000 for the first time. The registry operates through approximately 90 registrars and charges €10 per registration.
What formal steps has the administration taken?
On 29 September, Trump signed an executive order directing federal departments and agencies to adopt the terminology "SI" and "Super Intelligence" in place of "Artificial Intelligence" and "AI" across official communications and documents. According to the White House fact sheet, the order specifies that "SI" initially refers to technologies covered by the existing federal definition of artificial intelligence, and it does not mandate the rewriting of previously issued regulations, contracts, grants, or historical records.
At a White House gathering on the same day, which Trump characterized as "an extraordinary gathering" of technology leaders "building America's Golden Age," executives from major AI companies signed a voluntary accord emphasizing safeguards and transparency. According to coverage of the meeting, the agreement represents a commitment to industry self-regulation on AI safety matters.
Images circulated online showing the signed executive order drew mockery when observers noticed that "United States" had been misspelled beneath Trump's signature on the document.
What comes next?
The executive order grants the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology a 60-day window to develop and submit proposed legislative language establishing a formal federal definition of "Super Intelligence" and "SI." This timeline suggests that efforts to institutionalize the terminology shift across government operations will accelerate in the coming weeks.
The rebranding initiative reflects Trump's broader engagement with technology sector leadership. Earlier in the year, Trump had planned meetings with AI company leaders to discuss government investment stakes, signaling his administration's intent to shape the trajectory of artificial intelligence development and deployment within the United States.
Key Facts
- September 2026 saw 44,000 .si domain registrations, compared to fewer than 2,000 in August—a 2,199% increase
- On 30 September alone, 11,000 new registrations were recorded, marking the single highest day for domain activity
- Trump announced the "super intelligence" terminology at the UN General Assembly on 11 September and signed the executive order on 29 September
- The federal order directs agencies to use "SI" and "Super Intelligence" in official correspondence, websites, and reports, though it does not require updating historical documents
- Cyber-squatting—speculative domain purchases intended for later resale—is considered a likely driver of the registration surge
