Washington: The Trump administration is reportedly drafting an executive order aimed at challenging state-level regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing a single national standard. This initiative would direct the Justice Department to take legal action against states seeking to impose their own AI rules.
According to Anadolu Agency, a draft of the order obtained by The Washington Post, and confirmed by a source familiar with the situation, indicates that this move is expected to test the boundaries of presidential authority and potentially lead to a constitutional clash over federal limits. This development follows a recent Senate Republican block on a White House bid to ban state-level AI regulations in July, amid concerns about protecting Americans from potential AI risks.
If the executive order is approved, it would bolster Trump's efforts to align states with his national agenda during a second term. The administration has previously taken states such as California, New York, and Vermont to court over various laws. The proposed AI order would instruct the Justice Department to argue that state AI regulations violate interstate commerce, a strategy that Travis Hall of the Center for Democracy and Technology describes as likely unconstitutional.
"This proposal is shocking in its disregard for the democratic processes of state governments in their work to address the real and documented harms arising from AI tools," Hall stated. The draft order challenges the longstanding Republican principle of state control over federal government intervention, a stance traditionally championed by the party.
Additionally, the order would establish a federal task force to review state AI laws and assess whether they restrict free speech. It would also direct the Commerce Secretary to cut off federal broadband funding to states with such measures. On Tuesday, Trump expressed on his Truth Social platform that the US should adopt a single nationwide AI standard, suggesting it be attached to the defense authorization bill that recently passed the Senate.
"We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes. If we don't, then China will easily catch us in the AI race," Trump emphasized.