Trump signs executive order to block "patchwork" of state AI laws, seeks single national standard

Washington DC [US], December 12 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) signed a sweeping Executive Order aimed at preventing a "patchwork" of state-level artificial intelligence regulations, asserting that inconsistent rules threaten American innovation and weaken the country's global competitiveness in emerging technologies.
Following the signing of the order, the White House, in its fact sheet, stated that the order is designed to shield AI developers from what it called burdensome and conflicting state laws, while paving the way for a unified national framework to govern AI development and deployment.
Under the directive, the US Attorney General will establish a new AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state laws deemed unconstitutional, preempted, or harmful to innovation.
The US Secretary of Commerce has been tasked with evaluating state AI laws that conflict with national priorities, and states with such regulations risk having their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding withheld.
"The Order directs the Attorney General to establish an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge unconstitutional, preempted, or otherwise unlawful State AI laws that harm innovation," the factsheet read.
"The Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to publish an evaluation of State AI laws that conflict with national AI policy priorities and withhold non-deployment Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding from any State with such AI laws. Other agencies are directed to consider whether to make an absence of similar laws, or a policy of enforcement discretion with respect to any existing such laws, a condition of applicable discretionary grant programs," it added.
The order also directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to examine whether certain state requirements--such as mandatory DEI-based changes to AI models--could force companies into practices that violate federal law.
The agencies will also consider implementing a federal reporting and disclosure standard for AI systems.
The White House said the executive order moves the administration toward proposing a national legislative framework that would override state regulations deemed restrictive or anti-innovation.
"The Order calls for the development of a national AI legislative framework that would preempt State AI laws that stifle innovation," it said.
Calling the move essential to US national security and economic strength, the administration warned that more than 1,000 state-level AI bills have been introduced nationwide, creating what officials described as a chaotic regulatory environment.
"States such as California and Colorado are considering requiring AI companies to censor outputs and insert left-wing ideology in their programming," the factsheet said.
"The most restrictive states should not be allowed to dictate national AI policy at the expense of America's domination of this new frontier," it further read.
Trump reiterated his stance in a statement, warning that state overregulation threatens to slow down America's AI advancement.
"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," he said.
The order builds on previous Trump administration actions, including the July 2025 directive barring federal agencies from using AI systems that contain "ideological biases" and the Take It Down Act signed earlier this year to protect minors from deepfake exploitation.
With Thursday's order, the administration said it is advancing its AI Action Plan, unveiled in July 2025, which called for eliminating regulatory obstacles to ensure the United States remains the global leader in artificial intelligence. (ANI)