The U.S. Census Bureau and Its Switch to Super Intelligence

What happened

Simon Willison updated his chart of U.S. Census Bureau business AI adoption data and found survey wording changes that complicate comparisons. The November 2025 expansion from AI use in producing goods or services to any business function makes earlier and later responses not directly comparable. Beginning October 19, 2026, the survey replaced Artificial Intelligence with Super Intelligence under Executive Order 14434; results reflecting that wording are due Thursday, and Willison questions whether it will confuse respondents.

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The story so far

The U.S. Census Bureau replaced “Artificial Intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” in its business survey beginning October 19, 2026, under Executive Order 14434; Simon Willison flagged the change while updating his AI adoption chart, with results using the new wording due Thursday. An earlier change, introduced in November 2025, broadened the survey from AI use in producing goods or services to AI use in any business function. Willison found that this expansion makes responses before and after the change not directly comparable. He also questioned whether the latest switch to “Super Intelligence” would confuse respondents.