Trump signs order blocking states from enforcing own AI rules
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at preventing states from enforcing their own regulations on artificial intelligence (AI).
“We want to have a central source of approval,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday.
That will give the Trump administration the tools to push back against the most “onerous” state rules, said David Sacks, a White House artificial intelligence adviser. The government will not oppose AI regulations regarding child safety, he added.
The move marks a victory for tech giants who have pushed for U.S.-wide AI legislation, as it could have a major impact on the U.S.’s goal of becoming the leader in a rapidly developing industry.
AI company bosses have argued that state-level regulations could slow innovation and hamper the United States in its race against China to dominate the industry, with companies investing billions of dollars in the technology.
The BBC contacted AI companies OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Anthropic for comments.
But this announcement was met with opposition.
The state of California, home to many of the world’s largest technology companies, already has its own AI regulations.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a vocal critic of Trump, issued a strong statement in response to the executive order, accusing him of corruption.
“Today, President Trump continued his assaults at the White House, attempting to enrich himself and his associates, with a new executive order aimed at preempting state laws protecting Americans from unregulated AI technologies.”
Earlier this year, Newsom signed a bill requiring the largest AI developers to develop plans to limit risks arising from their AI models.
States like Colorado and New York have also passed laws regulating the development of this technology.
Newsom said the law sets a standard that U.S. lawmakers could follow.
Other critics of Trump’s executive order argue that state laws are necessary in the absence of meaningful safeguards at the federal level.
“Preventing states from adopting their own AI safeguards undermines the fundamental rights of states to establish sufficient safeguards to protect their residents,” Julie Scelfo, of the advocacy group Mothers Against Media Addiction, said in a statement.
