US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering signing an executive order that would challenge state efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) through lawsuits and the withholding of federal funding. The draft order instructs the US Justice Department to sue states in court for passing AI regulations that allegedly violate federal laws governing things like free speech and interstate commerce.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump could sign the order as early as this week. However, a White House spokesperson has stated that "discussion about potential executive orders is speculation."
The draft order points to state regulations that require AI models to alter their truthful outputs or compel AI developers to report information in a manner that would violate the First Amendment or any other provision of the Constitution. Specifically, it cites recently enacted AI safety laws in California and Colorado.
Big Tech trade groups have been vocal in their opposition to these efforts, describing them as a "patchwork" approach to AI regulation that hampers innovation. Instead, they are lobbying for a light-touch set of federal laws to guide AI progress.
Critics of the draft order argue that it undermines trust in AI and could lead to negative consequences for American businesses and society at large. "If the president wants to win the AI race, the American people need to know that AI is safe and trustworthy," says Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union.
The move comes as Silicon Valley has been increasing pressure on proponents of state AI regulations. For example, a super PAC funded by Andreessen Horowitz has recently announced a campaign against New York Assembly member Alex Bores, the author of a state AI safety bill.
House Republicans have also renewed their effort to pass a blanket moratorium on states introducing laws regulating AI after an earlier version of the measure failed. The draft order gives the White House authority to challenge state AI laws that violate the Commerce Clause, a provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states. It also instructs the Department of Commerce to craft guidelines that could make states ineligible for funding intended to expand access to high-speed internet.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Trump could sign the order as early as this week. However, a White House spokesperson has stated that "discussion about potential executive orders is speculation."
The draft order points to state regulations that require AI models to alter their truthful outputs or compel AI developers to report information in a manner that would violate the First Amendment or any other provision of the Constitution. Specifically, it cites recently enacted AI safety laws in California and Colorado.
Big Tech trade groups have been vocal in their opposition to these efforts, describing them as a "patchwork" approach to AI regulation that hampers innovation. Instead, they are lobbying for a light-touch set of federal laws to guide AI progress.
Critics of the draft order argue that it undermines trust in AI and could lead to negative consequences for American businesses and society at large. "If the president wants to win the AI race, the American people need to know that AI is safe and trustworthy," says Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union.
The move comes as Silicon Valley has been increasing pressure on proponents of state AI regulations. For example, a super PAC funded by Andreessen Horowitz has recently announced a campaign against New York Assembly member Alex Bores, the author of a state AI safety bill.
House Republicans have also renewed their effort to pass a blanket moratorium on states introducing laws regulating AI after an earlier version of the measure failed. The draft order gives the White House authority to challenge state AI laws that violate the Commerce Clause, a provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states. It also instructs the Department of Commerce to craft guidelines that could make states ineligible for funding intended to expand access to high-speed internet.
so if trump signs this order, it's gonna be super problematic for innovation in AI cuz tech companies are all like "hey, we need some rules to keep our models safe and not violate 1st amend" but trump is trying to push for a blanket statement that basically says "state regulations don't matter"
but still, can we just have some common sense here? AI is getting more and more advanced and we need guidelines to ensure it's used for good not evil 
if we dont regulate AI properly it could lead to some serious consequences - think facial recognition bias or job displacement issues... and this move by trump feels like a huge overreach 
the commerce clause is in place for a reason, its not just about states regulating whatever they want... we need more transparency and collaboration between gov and tech giants 
I mean come on, states have a right to set their own standards for AI development, it's not like they're gonna be some kind of dystopian police state 
. And what really gets my goat is that he's putting the interests of Big Tech over the well-being of the American people 
. Cody Venzke is absolutely right, if Trump wants to promote trust in AI, he needs to lead by example and show us that he's committed to making it safe and responsible 
.
and what about all these big tech companies trying to sway the outcome? it's like they're buying off politicians left and right 
This is getting interesting! So Trump's gonna try to put the kibosh on state efforts to regulate AI, right? Like, he's all about the 'light-touch' approach, but what's really going on here? I mean, these states are just trying to protect their citizens from some potentially sketchy AI developments. 
. I'm not buying it, folks. We need some real regulation here, not just a watered-down version that lets companies just wing it. 
shouldn't we be prioritizing public safety over corporate profits? 
The whole free speech thing has got me thinking... how do we ensure AI doesn't infringe on our rights without stifling innovation? 
so like, trump's trying to swoop in and ruin all the state efforts to regulate AI without actually doing anything about it 
newsflash: AI is not exactly a wild west frontier here 
i swear paul hollywood's judging skills are still on point and sara jones is just too extra lol anyway back to this ai thingy what's next gonna be an executive order about regulating memes 