Californias Democratic governor has moved to defy President Donald Trumps latest technology directive, turning a debate over terminology into the newest front in the ongoing clash between progressive California and a more innovation-focused federal agenda.
According to Gateway Pundit, Governor Gavin Newsom this week signed an executive order instructing state agencies to ignore the Trump administrations newly adopted label of Super Intelligence for advanced computing systems. The move came shortly after President Trump issued his own order declaring the dawn of the Era of Super Intelligence, a framing that reflects the administrations belief in American technological exceptionalism and the transformative power of private-sector innovation.
I just signed an executive order permanently declaring Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence in California, Newsom announced on X, pointedly rejecting the White Houses preferred terminology. Youre welcome, America, he added, underscoring his intent to position California as a counterweight to federal policy rather than a partner in a national strategy.
Under Newsoms directive, all state agencies and departments under his authority must continue to use Artificial Intelligence, AI, or Artificial Intelligence (AI) in official documents and communications. The order explicitly applies regardless of any different terminology adopted by the federal government, signaling a deliberate effort to carve out a separate regulatory and rhetorical path.
Newsoms office used the announcement to take a partisan swipe at the President instead of focusing on policy substance. Super intelligence is clearly not coming from the White House thats why California continues to lead, Newsom said, turning what could have been a technical discussion into another culture-war soundbite.
President Trumps order, signed Monday, directs federal agencies to use Super Intelligence and SI in place of Artificial Intelligence and AI in non-statutory documents and official communications. The extraordinary technologies being pioneered by American innovators far exceed what was envisioned when the term Artificial Intelligence first came into use, the order states, reflecting a belief that the old label understates the scale of current breakthroughs.
As these capabilities continue to improve, they increasingly represent not merely artificial intelligence, but a new era of Super Intelligence, the Presidents order continues, emphasizing optimism about American ingenuity rather than fear-driven regulation. The White House argues that the new terminology better captures the potential of rapidly advancing systems that can unlock new forms of human creativity instead of simply mimicking human thought.
Newsom, by contrast, used his announcement to tout a new wave of California regulations on AI, targeting employment practices, workplace surveillance, deepfakes, and other applications. AI should expand opportunity not come at the expense of workers and families, he said, signaling a more interventionist approach that risks burdening businesses and slowing innovation.
As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center, ensuring we all have a voice in the decisions shaping their future, Newsom added, framing heavier regulation as a safeguard rather than a potential drag on growth and competitiveness. He also criticized the Presidents broader approach, claiming there remains an absence of federal leadership, even as Washington seeks to set a unifying national vision for emerging technologies.
For now, President Trumps order applies only to the federal executive branch and does not compel states or private companies to adopt the Super Intelligence terminology. The split leaves the country with dueling narratives: a federal government championing bold, market-driven innovation under a new banner, and California clinging to older language while layering on regulations that could shape or stifle how this powerful technology develops within its borders.
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