Musk and Zuckerberg Use 'Super Intelligence' on Earnings Calls After Trump Push

Published on 10/30/2026 · Source: cnbc.com

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Musk and Zuckerberg Use 'Super Intelligence' on Earnings Calls After Trump Push

AI Summary

Summarized by AI from the source below

A month after President Donald Trump ordered government agencies to replace the term artificial intelligence (AI) with 'super intelligence,' tech leaders Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg echoed this terminology on their companies' earnings calls. Musk's SpaceX renamed its AI division to SpaceXSI, and on Tesla's earnings call, Musk distinguished their humanoid robots as not using advanced AI or SI. Meta CEO Zuckerberg emphasized his company's aim to deliver personal superintelligence, consistent with Meta's existing unit Meta Superintelligence Labs.

Despite Musk and Zuckerberg's compliance, other major tech CEOs continued using the term AI frequently on their earnings calls. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy mentioned AI multiple times in his remarks, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella focused on AI to empower people, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai credited AI investments for user growth. Trump's rebranding effort coincides with upcoming midterm elections and his recent low economic approval ratings.

This terminology shift reflects an attempt to influence AI discourse within the federal government and tech sector. For investors, the differing usage of ‘super intelligence’ versus AI does not signal immediate operational changes but highlights ongoing interactions between politics and the tech industry, which could shape regulatory and public relations environments.

Informational only, not financial advice. Content is AI-generated and may contain errors. How this works.

Our take

Opinion from the Newsstocks AI desk, not investment advice

In our view, Musk and Zuckerberg's adoption of 'super intelligence' reflects alignment with political directives rather than substantive technology changes. Other leaders' continued use of AI suggests varied responses within tech. This dynamic illustrates the intersection of politics and tech language but does not directly impact company operations based on the facts presented.

Key numbers

Date of Trump's order: Sept. 29, 2026
Date of Meta earnings call mentioning superintelligence: Oct. 21

What could help

Musk and Zuckerberg's alignment with Trump could ease regulatory friction in some areas.

What could hurt

Differing terminology among CEOs might indicate mixed industry views on regulatory and political trends.

What to watch next

The upcoming midterm elections next week.

The background

Companies often shape how they describe their technology to align with regulatory or political trends. The terminology used can reflect strategic communication choices.

Questions readers ask

Why did Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg use the term 'super intelligence'?

They followed President Trump's September 29, 2026 order to replace 'artificial intelligence' with 'super intelligence' in government and related communications.

What is the significance of using 'super intelligence' instead of AI?

The change reflects a political effort to rebrand AI within the government and tech sector, potentially influencing regulatory and communication strategies.

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