US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at preventing states from introducing laws that limit artificial intelligence, creating a federal task force with the “exclusive responsibility” for challenging such state regulations.
During Thursday’s signing ceremony, Trump highlighted AI companies’ eagerness to “invest” in the United States, arguing that allowing states to apply different rules would hinder development.
He said that “if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you could forget about it.”
This order revives an effort Republicans attempted earlier this year to impose a 10-year ban on AI regulation at the state level through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
That proposal collapsed after bipartisan opposition and intraparty disagreements, and the Senate voted 99-1 to kill it. Unlike legislation, the new directive does not have the force of law, but it signals the administration’s renewed push to centralize AI oversight at the federal level.
Titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” the order marks a victory for Silicon Valley companies that have rejected state regulation. These companies argue that inconsistent state rules would create unnecessary burdens.
However, neither the administration nor the industry have offered clear plans to address the social, environmental or political risks related to AI, leaving only existing federal standards, less stringent than the measures some states are taking.
The order directs the Justice Department to establish an “AI Litigation Task Force” to challenge state laws and calls for a review of statutes that could “require AI models to alter their truthful results.”
States likely to be scrutinized include California, which requires safety disclosures for new AI models, and Colorado, which requires employers to assess risks of algorithmic discrimination.
The directive has drawn criticism from state officials and civil liberties groups, who warn it will consolidate power in the hands of tech corporations and weaken protections for vulnerable communities.
They argued that the move could expose more people, including children, to risks associated with chatbots, surveillance systems and algorithmic decision-making.
“Trump’s campaign to threaten, harass and punish states seeking to pass common-sense regulations on AI is just another chapter in his playbook to hand control of one of the most transformative technologies of our time to the CEOs of Big Tech companies,” said Teri Olle, vice president of Economic Security California Action. “This is not about enabling American innovation.”
Trump has positioned federal control of AI regulation as essential to preventing leftist influence on generative AI systems, a stance echoed by conservative tech leaders like Elon Musk. Speaking at the US-Saudi Investment Forum last month, he said: “You can’t go through 50 states. You have to get approval. Fifty is a disaster. You’ll have one awakened state and you’ll have to do all the awakened ones… You’ll have a couple awakened ones and you don’t want to do that. You want to be done with AI.”
UPDATED: Bayelsa Deputy Governor Ewhrudjakpo dies after collapsing in office – Tribune Online
He repeated the argument in Truth Social earlier this week, writing: “We are beating EVERY COUNTRY 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 the RULES and APPROVAL PROCESS. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS! AI WILL BE DESTROYED IN ITS INFANCY!”
The administration has emphasized its commitment to making the United States the world leader in advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, reflecting growing competition with China. Yet in pursuing this goal, the White House continues to ignore warnings from researchers and human rights advocates about environmental damage, economic risks, and the potential for technology to fuel mental health problems or spread misinformation.
(The UK Guardian)
READ ALSO TOP STORIES OF Newslodge