Gavin Newsom defies Donald Trump’s order / California will continue to use the term “artificial intelligence”

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on Wednesday under which the state’s agencies and departments will continue to use the terms “artificial intelligence” and “AI,” despite the Donald Trump administration’s decision to impose the terms “superintelligence” and “SI” at the federal level.

Newsom announced the measure in an ironic message posted on X, saying that in California, artificial intelligence will remain “artificial intelligence.” The order applies to institutions under the governor’s authority, as long as the use of this terminology does not conflict with the law.

The document also includes an allusion to the administration in Washington. Newsom argues that changing the name of a technology should not prevent a person “with normal intelligence” from recognizing the security and safety risks associated with it. In an official statement, the governor added ironically that “superintelligence” does not come from the White House.

California’s decision came one day after Donald Trump signed the executive order “Launching the Era of Superintelligence.” The act requires the federal executive branch to use the new terms in correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, and public policy documents. The White House argues that “artificial intelligence” no longer sufficiently describes the rapidly evolving capabilities of these technologies.