US Census Bureau renames AI to "Super Intelligence" in business survey per Executive Order 14434
Simon Willison · rss · 2026-11-02
Simon Willison updated his US Census Bureau BTOS-based chart of corporate AI adoption and found the survey wording was changed again by Executive Order 14434, the "Super Intelligence" order.
- Before Nov 17, 2025, the question asked about AI used in "producing goods or services"; 12% of 250+ employee companies answered yes
- A Dec 2025 rewrite to "any business function" made data non-comparable: 30% by Feb 2026, 40% by Oct 2026
- Since Oct 19, 2026, the survey asks about "Super Intelligence or SI (formerly referred to as Artificial Intelligence or AI)" with examples like "SI-powered data analysis" and "virtual SI agents"
- First results under the new wording publish Thursday; Willison notes the absurdity and worries respondents (who last saw the AI wording 12 weeks ago) may be confused
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