President Trump signed a sweeping executive order on artificial intelligence Tuesday that takes direct aim at the Biden administration’s regulatory approach.
The order, titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security,” directs federal agencies to strengthen cybersecurity while keeping the government out of the business of licensing AI models.
The White House laid out the order’s America First AI policy:
The United States continues to lead the world in Artificial Intelligence (AI) because of the enormous talent and innovation of our AI industry, and because we refuse to stifle this innovation with overly burdensome regulation. My Administration has unleashed tremendous technological growth and economic investment in AI by slashing the bureaucratic constraints that the prior administration placed on America’s AI developers and researchers, and by instead encouraging AI innovation and accelerating responsible AI adoption across government and industry.
Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies (agencies), and components. As these capabilities evolve, my Administration will continue to work closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country.
ADVERTISEMENTWe will continue to lead an America First cybersecurity effort that enhances both our national security and our global AI dominance.
It is the policy of the United States to promote AI innovation and security by working collaboratively with the private sector to modernize government and private sector information systems and harden them against external threats; to protect American ingenuity and intellectual property from exploitation and theft by adversaries; and to cultivate America’s advanced AI-enabled capabilities.
Trump’s order does address national security concerns, but through voluntary cooperation rather than mandates.
The White House fact sheet says the order does not authorize mandatory government licensing, pre-clearance, or permitting for the development, publication, release, or distribution of AI models.
The directive calls for formation of an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse that will work with the AI industry and critical infrastructure operators on a voluntary basis.
It also establishes a framework for AI developers to voluntarily engage with the federal government before releasing advanced models.
Under the framework, developers could provide early access to covered frontier models for up to 30 days before release to other trusted partners.
The White House fact sheet emphasized that President Trump’s approach advances American AI leadership, strengthens cybersecurity, and protects critical infrastructure without the top-down regulatory burden.
The order also directs action on cyber defense across national security systems, Department of War information systems, and civilian federal systems.
A classified benchmarking process will assess the advanced cyber capabilities of AI models and determine which qualify as covered frontier models under the new framework.
The message from the White House is clear: America will lead in AI by unleashing innovation, not by choking it with government red tape.
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