President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order aimed at creating a single national framework for artificial intelligence, moving to sideline state-level rules he argued were hindering America's ability to maintain its leadership in this space.
Order Targets ‘Excessive State Regulation’ of AI
On Thursday, Trump signed the order aimed at curbing what he calls “excessive State regulation” of artificial intelligence, rolling out a series of steps to confront existing state laws that he said were hurting the industry.
In the order, Trump warned that U.S. leadership in AI is central to “national and economic security and dominance across many domains,” arguing that a growing thicket of state-level statutes is undermining that goal. He said the country remains “in the earliest days of this technological revolution” and is “in a race with adversaries for supremacy within it.”
See Also: Nvidia CEO Huang Blasts Proposed State AI Laws Moments After Trump Meeting
Trump criticized state laws on AI that create a “patchwork of 50 different regulatory regimes,” noting that it hinders the industry’s development.
To counter this, the administration is launching an AI Litigation Task Force within the Department of Justice. Its sole responsibility will be to challenge state AI laws “inconsistent with the policy” of establishing a minimally burdensome national standard.
The task force may sue states on grounds that their laws “unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce,” are preempted by federal regulations, or are otherwise unlawful. Trump said a unified framework is necessary to ensure “the United States wins the AI race, as we must.”
Outcome of Big Tech Lobbying Efforts
This marks a big win for leading AI companies such as ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), which have been shoring up their lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill over the past couple of months.
Leaders such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have criticized Trump’s plans to override state AI laws, calling it a gift to wealthy big tech executives at the expense of workers.
“Trump wants to deregulate AI and let the richest people on earth do whatever they want. Unacceptable,” Sanders said, in a post on X last month.
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