Trump Signs Executive Order to Block State AI Regulations, Creates Federal Framework

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Thursday evening aimed at establishing federal control over artificial intelligence regulation while blocking states from enforcing their own AI laws, marking a significant shift in how the emerging technology will be governed in the United States. The executive order, titled "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence," seeks to create what the administration calls a "minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI" to maintain America's global dominance in the technology sector. Speaking from the Oval Office during the signing ceremony, Trump emphasized the competitive threat posed by China, where companies face a centralized approval process. "There's only going to be one winner" in the global AI race, Trump told reporters. "We have the big investment coming, but if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you can forget it because it's impossible to do." The president drew a direct comparison to China's regulatory approach, stating, "We have to be unified. China is unified because they have one vote and that's President Xi [Jinping]. He says do it and that's the end of that." The order establishes several key mechanisms to challenge existing state AI laws. It directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to create an "AI Litigation Task Force" within 30 days, whose "sole responsibility shall be to challenge State AI laws" that conflict with the Trump administration's vision for light-touch federal regulation. Additionally, the order instructs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to identify existing state laws that could be deemed "onerous" and develop guidelines that could make states ineligible for future federal broadband funding if they maintain restrictive AI regulations. The move represents a significant victory for tech companies including OpenAI, Google, and venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz, which have lobbied extensively against what they view as overly restrictive state-level AI regulations. These companies argued that a patchwork of different state rules could stunt Silicon Valley's AI boom and reduce America's competitiveness globally. White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, who attended the signing ceremony alongside tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya, said the executive order would help create a "federal framework" on AI developed in conjunction with Congress. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were also present for the ceremony. The order specifically targets Democratic-led states like California and New York, which have been moving to implement their own AI oversight measures. The Trump administration's approach aims to prevent these states from exerting control over the growing AI industry through federal preemption. White House aide Will Scharf explained that the order "orders aspects of your administration to take decisive action to ensure that AI can operate within a single national framework in this country, as opposed to being subject to state level regulation that could potentially cripple the industry." The executive order could have far-reaching implications for dozens of existing AI safety and consumer protection laws at the state level. If states refuse to comply with the federal framework, the administration has indicated it will use federal funding as leverage to force compliance. The move comes as members of Congress from both parties, along with civil liberties and consumer rights groups, have been pushing for more comprehensive AI regulations, arguing there is insufficient oversight of the powerful technology. However, the Trump administration's approach favors minimal federal regulation over the more restrictive state-level approaches that have been emerging. The order represents one of the most significant federal interventions in AI policy to date, potentially reshaping how artificial intelligence development and deployment will be regulated across the United States as the technology continues to rapidly evolve and integrate into various sectors of the economy.