On March 31, the New York Times reported that although US President Trump tried to prevent states from regulating AI, state governments such as California did not buy it and were taking measures on their own to set up regulatory guardrails for AI.This month, Trump warned states not to get involved in regulating AI."Conflicting state laws can undermine America's ability to innovate and undermine our leadership in the global AI race," the White House said in a set of policy guidance.
Newsom and Trump
But on Monday, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom ignored Trump's warning and issued an executive order requiring AI companies that contract with state governments to set up security and privacy safeguards. He also said he would fight to uphold California laws designed to prevent catastrophic harm, fraud and risks to children related to AI.
"We will not sit idly by," Newsom said in a statement about Trump's attempt to preempt state action. "This amounts to taking a sledgehammer to the protections Californians rely on."
In the United States, the question of who will regulate AI is turning into a major conflict between Trump and the states.Right now, Americans’ anxiety about the potential impact of AI technology on jobs, education, national security, and children’s safety is rising sharply.