Trump's Executive Order on AI Sparks Controversy Over Domain Trading
US President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Artificial Intelligence (AI) as Super Intelligence (SI) has led to allegations of insider trading in domain names. Independent journalist Adam Cochran reported that insiders may have profited “hundreds of millions of dollars” by purchasing SI-related domain names ahead of the announcement on September 19, 2026.
Cochran noted a spike in registrations of “.si” domains during June and July, with many AI- and MAGA-related domains being sold for tens of thousands of dollars and then listed for millions. For instance, the domain Build.si is currently offered for over $14 million. Cochran identified 12,000 domains registered before the executive order, highlighting that prior to July, 95% of these domains were non-English.
According to Cochran, the executive order may prompt federal agencies and AI companies to acquire .si domains to align with Trump’s rebranding. He suggests that a group of insiders linked to the Trump administration exploited their knowledge of the upcoming order to make these purchases.
The executive order claims that the term AI is outdated and does not reflect the technology's potential to enhance human creativity. Trump emphasized that SI is a more suitable term moving forward. This announcement followed a meeting with prominent tech leaders, including executives from Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, and Nvidia, who signed a “morally binding” accord on AI safety.
As a result of the executive order, the US government will cease to recognize AI, raising questions about potential rebranding efforts from major AI companies like OpenAI and XAI.
Updated 19:02 UTC
New Developments on Trump's AI Executive Order
On October 1, 2026, Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) praised President Trump's AI safety accord, calling it a significant step towards responsible AI development. However, they emphasized their commitment to advancing their own bipartisan legislation, the FRONTIER Act, which aims to establish a statutory framework for high-risk AI models.
The White House Accord on Super Intelligence, unveiled on September 29, 2026, is a voluntary agreement signed by leaders from major AI companies, including Dario Amodei (Anthropic), Greg Brockman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Elon Musk (xAI), and Jensen Huang (Nvidia). The accord focuses on high-stakes risks such as cybersecurity and biosecurity and includes four layers of oversight, including internal monitoring teams and independent auditors.
Trump's executive order mandates the use of the term "super intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence," effective September 29, 2026. Critics have labeled the accord as a non-binding agreement with limited enforcement capabilities, relying on external evaluators rather than legislative measures.
The potential implications for AI companies and investors include increased operating costs if the voluntary framework transitions into mandatory regulations, as the FRONTIER Act aims to enforce independent evaluations and market removal of risky models.
Updated 19:30 UTC
New Developments on Trump's AI Executive Order
- Donald Trump has renamed Artificial Intelligence (AI) to "Super Intelligence" across the US government, a move that may have connections to Slovenia.
- Slovenia, Melania Trump's birth country, signed an AI partnership with Washington on September 24, leading to a surge in .si domain registrations.
- New .si registrations jumped from fewer than 2,000 in August to approximately 44,000 in September.
- Investor Adam Cochran claims that the rise in .si registrations began in June, with AI-related domains selling for tens of thousands of dollars.
- Trump announced the term "Super Intelligence" on Truth Social on September 19 and used it at the UN on September 22, followed by an executive order on September 29.
- There is no public evidence linking domain buyers to Trump or his inner circle, and speculation suggests that the domain boom may simply be a market reaction.
- Economist Roman Sheremeta referred to the situation as an alleged "enrichment ploy" but no concrete connections have been established.
- The domain boom continues, but the alleged connections to Trump remain unproven, prompting calls for investigation into the domain purchases.
FAQ
What is the main change introduced by Trump's executive order regarding AI?
Trump's executive order renames Artificial Intelligence (AI) as Super Intelligence (SI), claiming that the term AI is outdated and does not reflect the technology's potential.
What allegations have arisen from the executive order?
There are allegations of insider trading in domain names, with reports suggesting that insiders profited by purchasing SI-related domain names before the announcement, potentially making hundreds of millions of dollars.
What spike in domain registrations was reported prior to the executive order?
Independent journalist Adam Cochran noted a spike in registrations of '.si' domains during June and July 2026, with many AI- and MAGA-related domains being sold for tens of thousands of dollars and then listed for millions.
What impact might the executive order have on federal agencies and AI companies?
The executive order may prompt federal agencies and AI companies to acquire .si domains to align with Trump's rebranding of AI to SI.
Who were some of the prominent tech leaders involved in discussions leading to the executive order?
Prominent tech leaders from companies like Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, and Nvidia participated in a meeting where they signed a 'morally binding' accord on AI safety, which preceded the executive order.
Comments
Comments are moderated before publish.
No comments yet — be the first.