President Donald Trump said on Monday he would sign an executive order this week that would create a single national law for artificial intelligence, overriding disparate state laws. This will be a victory for big tech companies which have cultivated a close relationship with the White House, and would likely be disapproved of by both Democratic and Republican state leaders who have said they need the ability to protect state residents.
“There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS.”
While Trump did not give further details, a previous report by Reuters said that the president was considering an executive order that would seek to preempt state laws on AI through lawsuits and by withholding federal funding.
READ: Trump warns against over-regulating AI, urges unified federal oversight (
Companies that called for national AI standards include OpenAI, Google, Meta, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. These companies said that the U.S. will fall behind China on AI development if states are allowed to regulate the technology.
Critics worry the deregulation push could allow AI companies to evade accountability if their tools harm consumers. Trump’s move has confirmed fears held by academics, safety groups and state lawmakers on both sides of the political aisles.
State leaders from both major parties have emphasized the importance of AI regulations. Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, introduced legislation he said would create an AI bill of rights including data privacy, parental controls and consumer protections.
Other states have passed laws prohibiting the use of AI to create nonconsensual sexual imagery, banning unauthorized political deepfakes and seeking to prevent AI from being used to discriminate. California, home to several major AI companies, will require major developers to explain plans to mitigate potential catastrophic risks.
READ: Study shows AI companies’ safety practices fail to meet global standards (
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Monday that Trump had reviewed “something close to a final” draft of the order over the weekend. “There are some states that want to regulate these companies within an inch of their lives, and when they make a misstep, fine the heck out of them,” Hassett said. “This executive order that he’s promised to come out is going to make it clear that there’s one set of rules for AI companies in the U.S.”
Last month, Trump called on Congress to add language blocking state AI laws to an upcoming defense bill. This proposal received pushback from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and attorneys general.
“Congress can’t fail to create real safeguards and then block the states from stepping up,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said at the time. The Senate voted 99-1 against an effort to block AI laws this year after pushback from state leaders and consumer groups.