Trump Aims for AI Supremacy: New Order Would Override State Laws, Forge Single Federal Rule
In a move that could dramatically reshape the nation’s technological landscape, President Donald Trump is reportedly drafting an executive order designed to assert federal dominance over artificial intelligence regulation. This potential order would empower the federal government to challenge and potentially block state-level AI laws, using tools like withholding federal funding to ensure compliance. The reported goal is to create a unified national policy, preventing a patchwork of conflicting state regulations that some argue could stifle innovation and hinder the United States in the intensifying global AI race. This initiative mirrors the high-stakes competition of the 20th-century space race, positioning AI leadership as a critical matter of national and economic security.
This would not be Trump’s first foray into establishing a federal framework for AI. Back in January, his administration released the “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence” order, which directed agencies to create policies to “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance.” That order emphasized promoting economic competitiveness and national security while guarding against “ideological bias.” The new, more aggressive draft order takes this a step further, seeking to actively dismantle existing state-level barriers and replace them with a single, centralized set of rules, framing a cohesive federal strategy as the essential key to maintaining American technological supremacy.
