President Donald Trump signed an executive order on artificial intelligence on Thursday, aimed at revoking past government policies that he believes are hindering American AI innovation. The order emphasizes the importance of developing AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas in order to maintain global leadership in AI technology. While the order does not specifically name which existing policies are being targeted, it sets out to review all policies, regulations, and actions taken as a result of former President Joe Biden’s AI executive order of 2023, which Trump rescinded on Monday.
Last year, the Biden administration issued a policy directive requiring U.S. federal agencies to ensure that their AI tools do not harm the public, or else stop using them. Trump’s order directs the White House to revise and reissue these directives, which impact how agencies acquire and utilize AI tools. The Trump administration criticized Biden’s executive order for imposing burdensome requirements on companies developing and deploying AI, which they believed would stifle innovation and threaten American technological leadership.
In addition to revoking Biden’s guardrails for AI technology, Trump’s order also calls for the development of an AI action plan within 180 days. This plan will be led by a small group of White House tech and science officials, including a new Special Advisor for AI and Crypto, David Sacks, who is a venture capitalist and former PayPal executive. The goal of the action plan is to ensure that AI policies align with Trump’s directive to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.
The swift repeal of Biden’s AI executive order just hours after Trump returned to the White House on Monday has raised concerns about the future of AI regulation and innovation in the United States. Critics worry that without proper guardrails in place, AI technology could be developed and deployed without sufficient oversight, potentially leading to harmful consequences for society. However, supporters of Trump’s executive order argue that it will spur innovation and technological advancement by removing unnecessary barriers to AI development.
Overall, Trump’s executive order on artificial intelligence reflects his administration’s commitment to promoting American leadership in AI technology while also addressing concerns about ideological bias and social agendas in AI systems. By revoking past policies and establishing a new framework for AI development, the administration hopes to foster innovation, economic competitiveness, and national security in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
