Trump's AI-to-'Super Intelligence' Order Sparks Rush on Slovenia's .si Domains
Trump's order to rename AI as 'super intelligence' has had an unexpected side effect: a rush on Slovenia's .si web domains, which share the same initials.
What happened
President Trump signed an executive order directing US federal agencies to replace the term 'artificial intelligence' (AI) with 'super intelligence' (SI) in official communications and non-statutory documents.12
The order also instructs the White House science adviser to draft a new federal definition for the term.1
The new abbreviation SI coincides with Slovenia's country-code internet domain suffix, .si, leading to what outlets describe as unprecedented demand for such domain names.234
Commentators have noted the commercial opportunity this coincidence presents for domain buyers, while some have raised questions about who owns the .si domains being sought.45
What's agreed
Reported consistently by outlets in more than one region.
- US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to replace the term 'artificial intelligence' (AI) with 'super intelligence' (SI) in official communications.1234
- The .si domain suffix, originally designated for Slovenia, shares its initials with Trump's new 'super intelligence' term.24
- The order has led to a surge or 'unprecedented' demand for .si domain name registrations.234
How it's framed
What each perspective puts first, based on headlines and summaries.
| Perspective | How it reads | What it puts first |
|---|---|---|
| US outletsNorth America | TechCrunch frames the story primarily as a tech-industry phenomenon, focusing on the surge in .si domain registrations as a direct market reaction to the policy.3 | domain registration surge, market reaction |
| UK outletsEurope | BBC News Business and The Register both highlight the Slovenian domain angle and the unusual coincidence of initials, with The Register adopting a more critical tone, using language like 'decrees' and raising questions about who benefits from or owns the rush on .si domains.25 | Slovenian domain coincidence, critical tone toward policy, domain ownership questions |
| Hong Kong outletEast Asia | South China Morning Post focuses on the substance of the executive order itself, including Trump's rationale for the rebrand and the instruction to draft a new federal definition, with less emphasis on the domain name angle.1 | executive order details, Trump's stated rationale, federal definition process |
| Indian outletSouth Asia | NDTV frames the story through a comparative lens, noting .si is Slovenia's domain just as .in is India's, and emphasizes the commercial opportunity for domain buyers.4 | domain suffix comparison, financial opportunity for buyers |
What the coverage leaves out
- None of the outlets reviewed reported on Slovenia's government or domain registry's official response to the surge in demand.
- None of the outlets reviewed detailed the specific wording or full scope of the executive order beyond the terminology change.
- None of the outlets reviewed reported on reactions from the US AI industry or technology companies to the rebrand.
- None of the outlets reviewed specified who is purchasing the .si domains or for what purpose.
Why it matters
The rebrand effort reflects a push by Trump to change official US government terminology around artificial intelligence, with a new federal definition to be drafted by the White House science adviser.1
The unexpected overlap between the new term's abbreviation and Slovenia's country-code domain has created a commercial opportunity for domain buyers and raised questions about domain ownership.45
Sources (5)
Every outlet we drew on, grouped by where it is based. Read the originals for the full reporting.
North America
Europe
- 2BBC News BusinessGBPublic broadcaster
Trump's AI rebrand causes 'unprecedented' demand for Slovenian website names
- 5The RegisterGBPrivate
South Asia
East Asia
- 1South China Morning PostHKPrivate
What’s in a name? Why Trump wants to rebrand AI as ‘super intelligence’