AI summary
- A Fox News opinion piece on 20 October 2026 says Bernie Sanders introduced legislation that would permanently prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence.
- The same piece says the bill would set up a new federal AI agency and halt other advanced AI development until regulators approve continued efforts.
- In a 23 October release, the European defence firm Quantum Systems still describes its unmanned systems with the word AI, not SI.
- A proposed ban puts the word superintelligence in front of Congress, but it also ties the word to fear and to election outcomes.
- This news on its own isn't a reason to buy a .si name, and most .si names remain speculation in a small aftermarket.
What the op-ed says Sanders has proposed
On 20 October, Fox News published an opinion piece arguing that the far left wants to stop the technology behind a new American golden age. It's a political argument, not a news report, so read it that way. Still, it lists three Sanders proposals that matter to anyone weighing up a .si name.
- A data centre moratorium. In March, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a nationwide moratorium on new data center construction until Congress establishes "a sufficient regulatory system for the industry".
- An AI wealth fund. The writer says his American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act "would effectively nationalize 50% of the AI industry".
- A superintelligence ban. More recently, the piece says, "Sanders introduced legislation that would permanently prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence." It says the plan would also establish a new federal AI agency and halt other advanced AI development until regulators approve continued efforts.
I've written before about Sanders backing an AI pause. This is different. A pause has an end. The bill described here goes after superintelligence by name, and permanently.
Why a ban on "superintelligence" matters for SI names
The value of a .si name rests on one bet: that "SI" and "super intelligence" become everyday words. A bill aimed squarely at artificial superintelligence cuts both ways.
On one side, it's more evidence that the word has reached Congress. Lawmakers don't write bans for ideas nobody talks about. On the other side, it attaches the word to fear. If the political fight frames superintelligence as something to stop, some companies may avoid the label rather than adopt it.
The op-ed makes the timing point itself: "Whether we take steps toward that future could depend on which political vision prevails over the next few election cycles." That's a fair warning for domain buyers too. The meaning of SI is now tied to elections, and nobody can tell you how they'll go.
The other camp is just as loud. The piece says Elon Musk, speaking alongside President Trump at the White House in September, predicted a world where AI and advanced robotics create an "age of abundance." It also says the administration's AI Action Plan and executive orders have prioritised eliminating regulatory barriers, building data centres and expanding energy infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Europe's defence firms still say "AI"
A second source this week shows how the industry itself talks. On 23 October, EuropaWire carried a release from Munich-based Quantum Systems about Forward Edge 26, a two-week exercise at a military training field in central Germany. The company connected unmanned air, ground and maritime systems through its MOSAIC UXS software suite across four scenarios, and remotely piloted systems in Ukraine, the USA and Australia.
Partners included Daimler Truck, Volkswagen and XTEND, among others. The release includes this line: "Today Quantum Systems and its partners demonstrated the future of warfare: Silent, precise, lethal and orchestrated through software and AI."
Look at the last word. A company with more than 1,700 employees across eight countries, selling autonomous systems, still describes them with "AI". There's no mention of SI anywhere in the release. It's a reminder that outside US politics, the old term is still the default.
What this means for .si buyers
Put the two sources together and the picture is mixed. Superintelligence is now the target of proposed US legislation, at least as one opinion writer describes it. Yet the companies actually building autonomous systems in Europe aren't switching their vocabulary.
That's why I don't think this news, on its own, should push anyone to buy. It raises the profile of the word. It doesn't prove that founders or customers will want SI in a brand. And the .si aftermarket is small. Most .si names are speculation, mine included, and resale isn't guaranteed.
Where a .si can make sense is narrow: plain generic words, where the .com and .ai are taken or priced far beyond a startup's budget.
Names in my inventory that fit this debate
- futurehuman.si, $1,500. The .ai asks $290,000 and the .com has been held since 1999. About 5,400 searches a month. It's the plainest name for the question at the centre of this fight: what happens to people when machines get smarter than us.
- greatmind.si, $2,000. The .com is listed at $500,000 and the .ai is for sale with the price on request. 33,100 searches a month.
- aimarket.si, $4,500. The .com asks $594,888 and the .ai $47,995. 12,100 searches a month. It keeps "AI" in the name, which suits a market that, as Quantum Systems shows, still uses that word.
- brainbank.si, $1,500. The .ai is priced at $399,999 and the .com has been held since 1995. It's only searched 1,600 times a month, so this is a brand play, not a traffic one.
If the .com of the words you want is available at a fair price, buy the .com. It's still the stronger name for most businesses. You can see the full list at aidomains.si.
Should you buy a .si name because of this?
Not because of this alone. A proposed ban described in an opinion column isn't a sign that SI will become the standard term, and it could make some brands wary of it. Before you buy, you'll want to run any name through three questions:
- Are the .com and .ai taken or expensive? If either is available at a price you can pay, take that instead.
- Is it a generic name, not a brand? Plain words only. Don't buy a .si that copies one company's name.
- Do people search for it? Check real monthly searches. A name with demand behind it still has a use even if SI never catches on.
If a name passes all three, a .si at a few thousand dollars can be a sensible hedge. If it fails any of them, I'd walk away, and I'd tell you the same about my own names.
Names from this store that pass the test
Questions
What has Bernie Sanders proposed on superintelligence?
According to a Fox News opinion piece published on 20 October 2026, Sanders introduced legislation that would permanently prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence. The piece says it would also establish a new federal AI agency and halt other advanced AI development until regulators approve continued efforts.
Is the Fox News article a news report?
No. It's published in the opinion section and argues against Sanders' proposals, so its descriptions of the bills come from the writer's point of view.
Did Quantum Systems use the term SI for Forward Edge 26?
No. Its 23 October release describes the exercise as orchestrated through software and AI, and it doesn't mention SI.
Which .si names fit the superintelligence debate?
futurehuman.si is listed at $1,500, and its .ai twin asks $290,000. greatmind.si is $2,000, and its .com is listed at $500,000.
Sources
- Fox News, 2026-10-20
- EuropaWire, 2026-10-23
This post was researched and drafted with AI help from the sources above, then checked by me before publishing. Facts are as reported on the dates shown.