WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at stopping U.S. states from enacting their own artificial intelligence rules, asserting that a patchwork of local laws could slow innovation and weaken America’s global competitiveness.
Trump, speaking in the Oval Office, said the U.S. needs centralized oversight to stay ahead in the global race with China. “We have the big investment coming, but if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you can forget it because it’s impossible to do,” he told reporters.
The order directs the Justice Department to form an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state laws it deems conflicting with federal policy, and empowers the Commerce Department to identify regulations that could prompt federal funding restrictions for states deemed too restrictive.
More than 1,000 AI-related bills have been introduced at the state level this year, creating a variety of requirements, from transparency in algorithmic decision-making to protections against discriminatory AI hiring tools. Supporters of state action say these laws fill a regulatory gap left by Congress, which has repeatedly failed to pass comprehensive federal AI legislation.
Critics argue the executive order undermines states’ rights and weakens safeguards for consumers and vulnerable populations. Civil liberties advocates say federal preemption could tilt power toward large tech companies while local concerns, such as algorithmic bias and privacy, go unaddressed.
The Trump administration says the move is temporary and that it will work with Congress on a unified national framework, but legal experts note that an executive order cannot fully override state legislative authority without new legislation.
The battle over how to regulate powerful AI systems, balancing innovation with public safety, is likely to play out in courts and Capitol Hill in the months ahead.