President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order aimed at establishing a national policy framework for artificial intelligence (AI), citing the need to promote United States leadership in AI and prevent what he describes as excessive state-level regulation that could hinder innovation.
According to the order, "United States leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will promote United States national and economic security and dominance across many domains." The president referred to previous efforts by his administration, including updating federal regulatory frameworks to encourage adoption of AI applications, which he said have already attracted significant investments nationwide.
The executive order criticizes what it calls a "patchwork" of state regulations, highlighting concerns that state laws can create compliance challenges for companies—especially start-ups—and may require AI models to adjust outputs in ways that conflict with factual accuracy or constitutional protections. The president specifically mentioned a Colorado law on algorithmic discrimination as an example of such problematic legislation.
The order states: "My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones. The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order. That framework should also ensure that children are protected, censorship is prevented, copyrights are respected, and communities are safeguarded."
To address these issues, the Attorney General is directed to establish an AI Litigation Task Force within 30 days to challenge state AI laws inconsistent with the new federal policy. The Secretary of Commerce is tasked with evaluating existing state AI laws within 90 days and identifying those considered onerous or conflicting with federal objectives.
The executive order also links eligibility for certain federal funds under programs like Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) to compliance with its standards. States identified as having restrictive or conflicting AI laws may become ineligible for some funding.
Further measures include instructing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman to consider adopting a federal reporting and disclosure standard for AI models that would override conflicting state requirements. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman is also asked to clarify how federal law preempts state rules mandating deceptive conduct in AI models.
A legislative recommendation is expected from presidential advisors outlining a uniform federal policy framework for AI, though exceptions will be made for specific areas such as child safety protections and government procurement practices related to AI.
The executive order clarifies that it does not alter existing legal authorities or create new enforceable rights but sets out guidelines for future action by various agencies involved in regulating or supporting artificial intelligence development in the United States.
