06:54
Trump plans to issue an executive order to prevent states from enacting AI regulatory laws, sparking controversy over safety and governance.
President Trump recently confirmed that he will sign an executive order seeking to replace state-level or planned AI regulatory laws with more relaxed federal policies. Trump stated on Truth Social that the United States must maintain “unified rules,” otherwise its leading position in the global AI race could be undermined. He said that if all 50 states set their own regulations, “artificial intelligence will be strangled in its infancy.”
This plan has quickly raised concerns among safety organizations, scholars, and bipartisan state legislators. In recent months, as AI technology penetrates everyday life—including healthcare, law enforcement, recruitment, content generation, and communications—states have gradually introduced laws to limit deepfakes and curb algorithmic discrimination. In the absence of comprehensive federal legislation, state-level regulation is seen as an important way to fill the gaps in AI safety.