WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Trump has banned states from regulating artificial intelligence. President Trump signed an executive order this week aimed at creating a single national framework for AI. The move comes as the United States pushes for global dominance in the field of AI.
Every time you make a change, it can be a very reasonable change. “We still don't have to go to the 50 states to get approval, so this centralizes it,” Trump said Thursday from the Oval Office.
Many states currently have AI-related laws and regulations in place. But President Trump has argued that not having a single approach could stifle innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness and allow countries like China to advance in the AI race.
“There's only one winner here, and that's probably going to be the United States or China. We're winning by a wide margin right now,” Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum supported the president's approach to AI. He said that apart from winning the AI race, the United States needs artificial intelligence for national security.
Go back to last spring. I mean, Iran launched 500 missiles towards Iran… So in one day, they launched missiles from Iran to Israel. 498 planes were shot down because of AI,'' Burgum told Fox & Friends on Thursday.
Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed with Burgum. He added that the US needs to expand its domestic data centers while also investing in AI infrastructure.
“We have to step up and make sure that American values are the world's values and that we control this global AI challenge. That's why these AI data centers are so important across the country,” Sinema told Fox & Friends on Thursday.
However, some Democratic lawmakers oppose this. They argue that the executive order is dangerous and unconstitutional. They argue that blocking state-level safety regulations could put people at risk of discrimination and surveillance abuses.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) told CNN this week: “What we're talking about here is legislation that protects children. It's not just blue state governors, it's what red states have been doing.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 31 states have enacted some form of AI legislation or resolution during the 2024 legislative session. Many focused on deepfakes, criminal child sexual abuse material, data privacy, and government policy. President Trump's executive order does not immediately repeal the law, but it does direct federal agencies to take steps to counter some of the laws.
“AI can unlock great things, like cures for rare diseases. But not if every bad thing is visible to everyone,” Klobuchar said.
The executive order represents a victory for technology companies like OpenAI and Google, which have lobbied to limit regulations they see as somewhat overreaching. States that don't comply with the new order could face funding restrictions, which are expected to be challenged in court.
