‘One rule’: Trump says he will sign executive order blocking state AI laws despite bipartisan opposition

President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to sign an executive order this week that would prevent states from enacting their own regulations for artificial intelligence technology.

“I will be issuing an executive order with one rule this week,” Trump said. to publish On social media. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 approvals every time it wants to do something.”

“There must be only one rule book if we want to continue to lead in artificial intelligence,” Trump said. “We are beating all countries at this stage of the race, but that will not last long if we have 50 countries, many of them bad actors, involved in the rules and approval process… AI will be destroyed in its infancy!”

Trump’s statement comes days after An attempt to pre-empt states from regulating artificial intelligence He was canceled In the Senate, where Congress was unable to agree to include the highly unpopular proposal in the defense budget bill that must be passed.

The rapid pace of AI development and the lack of general consumer protections from the federal government have led many states to enact their own rules around the technology. California, for example, has SB 53, the AI ​​Safety and Transparency Actwhile Tennessee Facebook law Protects musicians and performers from unauthorized deepfakes of their voices and likenesses generated by artificial intelligence.

Silicon Valley figures, including OpenAI chief Greg Brockman and David Sachs, the White House’s AI czar-turned-AI czar, have argued that such regulations by states would create an unworkable patchwork of laws that would stifle innovation and threaten the US lead against China in the race to develop AI technology.

Silicon Valley has a powerful lobbying arm that has stymied meaningful regulation of the technology for years, and proponents of states’ regulatory rights say there is no reason to believe state AI laws could “destroy the progress of AI,” as venture capitalists and technology companies claim.

Trump’s Executive Order, A draft Which was leaked two weeks ago, would create an “AI Litigation Task Force” to challenge AI laws in court, direct agencies to evaluate state laws deemed “onerous,” and push the FCC and FTC toward national standards that go beyond state rules.

The order would also give Sachs direct influence over AI policy, replacing the usual role of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, currently headed by Michael Kratsios.

“Christmas is coming early for AI billionaires who continue to get exactly what they want from the White House: a massive handout that makes it easier for them to generate massive profits for themselves without any regard for the risks to our children, our safety, and our jobs.” New York Assembly Member Alex Burriswhich sponsored New York’s RAISE Act, said in a statement.

Attempts to block states’ authority to regulate AI have been deeply unpopular on both sides of Congress. Earlier this year, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a proposal that would put A Stop for 10 years On artificial intelligence legislation in the federal budget bill, but it was rejected by a vote of 99 to 1, in a rare moment of bipartisan agreement that technology companies should not operate without oversight.

When Trump’s draft leaked last month, several Republican politicians spoke out.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Published on X: “States must reserve the right to regulate and pass laws related to artificial intelligence and anything else for the benefit of their state. Federalism must be maintained.”

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) to publish Late last week: “I oppose stripping Florida of our ability to legislate in the best interests of the people. A ten-year AI ban would prohibit state regulation of AI, which would prevent Florida from enacting important protections for individuals, children, and families.”

DeSantis also described data centers as draining energy and water resources, as well as killing potential jobs.

“The rise of artificial intelligence is the most important economic and cultural shift happening right now,” he said in a statement. “Depriving people of the ability to productively direct these technologies through autonomy constitutes federal government overreach and allows technology companies to take off.” Post November 10th.

Late last week, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) warned Trump against labor, advising him to “leave AI to the states” to preserve federalism and allow local protections.

The desire to protect people from the potential harms of AI technology is not unfounded. He was there Many deaths by suicide After lengthy conversations with AI-powered chatbots, psychologists have recorded an uptick in cases of the condition they call “AI psychosis.”

A bipartisan coalition More than 35 state attorneys general Congress warned last month that overstepping state AI laws could have “serious consequences,” and more 200 state representatives They issued an open letter opposing federal preemptions, citing setbacks to progress in AI safety.

This article has been updated with comment from Alex Bores (D-NY).