Trump to create one national AI rule to override patchwork of state laws

In an attempt to circumvent the confusing and often ineffective patchwork of AI industry rules and regulations across America’s fifty states, the Trump administration on Monday said it will create a single national rule for artificial intelligence.

The president announced he would sign an executive order this week to create the overarching rule, a move that has garnered much support among big tech and Silicon Valley C-suites.

"There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“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. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS! AI WILL BE DESTROYED IN ITS INFANCY!” the President wrote.

“I will be doing a ONE RULE Executive Order this week. You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something. THAT WILL NEVER WORK!" he added.

In the past few years, state legislatures have passed hundreds of AI-related regulations, spanning child safety, algorithmic bias, and workforce development.

Since taking oath in January, Trump has been calling for a federal standard to regulate AI, stating that the disparate state regulations are hindering AI-driven economic growth.

Prominent tech leaders have echoed the sentiment, concerned the US will fall behind China on AI development if states are allowed to regulate the technology.

Trump and the Republican Party have attempted to add a single federal AI law to the National Defense Authorization Act in November, but that provision has met resistance from both sides of the aisle in Congress.

A preliminary draft of an Executive Order seen by Reuters last month would allow the White House to preempt state laws on artificial intelligence by withholding federal funds and, in some cases, even resorting to litigation in US courts.

According to Reuters, the order would task Attorney General Pam Bondi with establishing an “AI Litigation Task Force whose sole responsibility shall be to challenge state AI laws, including on grounds that such laws unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce, are preempted by existing federal regulations, or are otherwise unlawful,” according to the document.

It would also direct the Department of Commerce to review state laws and issue guidelines that would withhold broadband funding in some cases, the report said.

Unpopular among lawmakers

In response to the announcement, Republican and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is against the singular rule, called out Trump on X, stating that “An executive order doesn’t/can’t preempt state legislative action. Congress could, theoretically, preempt states through legislation.”

“The problem is that Congress hasn’t proposed any coherent regulatory scheme, but instead just wanted to block states from doing anything for 10 years, which would be an AI amnesty.“

“I doubt Congress has the votes to pass this because it is so unpopular with the public,” DeSantis added.

In July, an attempt at an AI state law moratorium was also shot down in a 99-1 Senate vote.

At the time, DeSantis argued that it would ultimately take away states' ability to watch over big tech, and prevent states from prosecuting cases involving “online censorship of political speech, predatory platforms that target children, intellectual property rights violations, and data center intrusions on power/water resources.”

Last week, DeSantis said he would create an AI bill of rights, including data privacy, parental controls, and consumer protections, also reposting about it on X on Monday.

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