• Trump plans to sign an executive order establishing a unified rulebook for AI in the U.S.
• The order aims to streamline AI regulations, bypassing state approvals.
• Divisions within the Republican Party have emerged over federal intervention in state AI laws.

President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an executive order establishing a “one rulebook” for artificial intelligence (AI) development, which aims to eliminate state-level regulatory hurdles. He emphasized the need for a unified approach, stating, “We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS,” according to The Hill.

Trump's forthcoming order is designed to overcome what he perceives as obstacles posed by disparate state regulations that could stifle innovation. He asserted that having to secure approvals from each state would be impractical, declaring that “you can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something,” as reported by Business Insider. However, the legal ramifications of such an executive action remain uncertain.

The proposed executive order has garnered mixed reactions, even within Trump's own party. Some Republicans are apprehensive about the implications of overriding state rights, with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene arguing that “States must retain the right to regulate and make laws on AI and anything else for the benefit of their state,” as noted by Al Jazeera. These divisions highlight a broader conflict between promoting federal uniformity in AI and preserving state regulatory authority.

Despite the internal conflicts, Trump remains committed to promoting a robust AI framework, having previously attempted to include federal provisions in defense legislation. However, efforts to restrict state AI regulations in Congress have largely failed, with crucial provisions being removed from final bills. The consensus among critics is that the proposed federal measures may jeopardize existing state laws designed to protect citizens from potential harms associated with AI technologies, as highlighted by concerns from bipartisan state lawmakers, according to Business Insider and Al Jazeera.