Former President Donald Trump’s signature on a series of executive orders. Each of these orders sought to dramatically change the AI landscape in the United States. At a virtual press conference, officials announced three executive orders. These initiatives are intended to establish the country as an “AI export superpower” and address fears over China’s growing dominance in the technology arena.
The pilot initiative was included in the White House’s long-promised “action plan,” released today and entitled, “Winning the Race. This blueprint is a concerted step to provide a formula to reaffirm the US’s leadership as the world’s AI superpower and trusted AI partner. With this move, the Trump administration aims to expand the integration of AI technologies within federal operations and bolster US competitive standing against international adversaries.
Perhaps the most controversial piece of the executive orders aims at the “woke” AI models that, according to Trump, are ruining the world. The former president subsequently issued a blistering attack on these models, denouncing them as “woke Marxist lunacy.” He slammed them for drafting an unbalanced rubric that suppresses conservative ideas. This political rhetoric is an echo of long-running political complaints from the right about alleged liberal partisanship at the hands of big tech.
In his remarks, Trump emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Winning this competition will be a test of our capacities unlike anything since the dawn of the space age.” He called for America’s tech companies to think and act together, and he implored American tech companies to put their country first.
“We need US technology companies to be all-in for America. We want you to put America first.” – Donald Trump
One of the more controversial aspects of the Administration’s initiative is the call to deregulate AI development. The new order’s intent is to accelerate the development of data centers. It does this by cutting targeted environmental protections that critics argue will hamstring growth and innovation in the nascent industry. Trump’s administration considers all of these measures to be essential components in accelerating AI innovation. They want to ensure the United States is at the forefront of all this emerging technology.
Tucked in there, though, was an announcement that during the rollout of the Keep American Manufacturing Great! He stated, “Once and for all, we are getting rid of woke. Is that OK?” His administration’s larger strategy is to align technology development with conservative values. Simultaneously, it is looking to create the kind of environment that best attracts and supports innovation.
The executive orders undo an earlier requirement imposed by the Biden administration. That mandate had codified important protections and benchmarks related to civil rights, safety, and general purpose AI technologies. This repeal has raised alarms among the nation’s leaders in industry and academia who fear the dangers of an uncontrolled, federally unregulated acceleration of AI development.
Similar to the tone of Trump’s directives, Elon Musk—CEO of xAI, one of the newest companies focused on artificial intelligence—has positioned himself against reigning AI models. He promises to create an “anti-woke” AI with his new company. Musk’s efforts are a reflection of the widening gulf between groups on developing and using AI responsibly.
“I don’t even like the name, you know? I don’t like anything that’s artificial. So could we straighten that out, please? We should change the name. I actually mean that.” – Donald Trump
Together, these developments represent an important turning point in the US government’s approach to artificial intelligence. As the landscape changes, it’s obvious that political ideologies will still dictate policies around emerging technologies. The Trump administration’s emphasis on deregulation and an aggressive stance against what it deems biased AI models signals a new chapter in the ongoing dialogue about technology’s role in society.