US President Donald Trump is considering signing an executive order that would seek to challenge state efforts to regulate artificial intelligence through litigation and withhold federal funding, WIRED has learned.
A draft of the order seen by WIRED directs US Attorney General Pam Bondi to create an “AI Litigation Task Force,” aimed at suing states for passing AI regulations that allegedly violate federal laws governing things like free speech and interstate commerce.
According to four sources familiar with the matter, Trump could sign the order as early as this week, titled “Eliminating state law barriers to national AI policy.” A White House spokesperson told WIRED that “discussions about potential executive orders are speculation.”
The order states that the AI Litigation Task Force will work with several White House technology advisers, including “Trump Takes Aim at State” David Sachs, special adviser on AI and crypto, to determine which states are violating federal laws detailed in the order. It refers to state regulations that “require AI models to alter their factual findings” or compel AI developers to “report data in a manner that would violate the First Amendment or any other provision of the Constitution,” according to the draft.
Trump Takes Aim at State
The order specifically cites recently enacted AI protection laws in California and Colorado that require AI developers to publish transparency reports about how they train models, among other provisions. Big tech “Trump Takes Aim at State” trade groups, including the Chamber of Progress — which is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Google and OpenAI — have lobbied strongly against these efforts, which they describe as a “patchwork” approach to AI regulation that stifles innovation. These groups are lobbying instead for a light-touch set of federal laws to guide AI progress.
If the president wants to win the AI race, the American people need to know that AI is safe and trustworthy,” said Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. “This draft only undermines that belief.”
Trump Takes Aim at State
The order comes as the Silicon Valley state steps up pressure on proponents of AI regulation. For example, a super PAC recently funded “Trump Takes Aim at State” by Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and Palanti co-founder Joe Lonsdale announced the campaign Against New York Assemblyman Alex Bores, author of the state’s AI protections bill.
House Republicans have also renewed their efforts to pass a blanket moratorium on states introducing laws regulating AI after a previous version of the measure failed.