U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that will attempt to replace a growing number of state laws governing artificial intelligence technology with national standards. "We want to have a core source of approval," Trump told reporters, flanked by top advisers including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant.
White House artificial intelligence adviser David Sacks said the order would give the Trump administration tools to roll back the most "onerous" state regulations. He added that the government would not oppose regulations on artificial intelligence and child safety.
Major AI players including OpenAI, Google, Meta and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have said it is the federal government, not states, that should regulate the industry.
However, U.S. state leaders from both parties have said they need the power to put guardrails around artificial intelligence, especially as Congress has been unable to pass laws governing the tech industry.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has proposed an AI bill of rights that includes data privacy, parental controls and consumer protections. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill this year requiring major artificial intelligence developers to explain plans to mitigate potentially catastrophic risks. California is home to several large artificial intelligence companies.
Other states have passed laws banning AI-generated non-consensual sexual images and unauthorized political deepfakes.