President Donald Trump made a notable impact on the future of artificial intelligence shortly after his return to the White House by invalidating the regulations put in place by former President Joe Biden regarding this rapidly advancing technology.
However, the specific plans and direction that Trump will take regarding AI regulation, particularly in contrast to Biden’s strategy, remain unclear. The new administration has not provided any comments on the repeal of Biden’s executive order, leading to ambiguity even among some advocates in the tech industry who typically support Trump.
Alexandr Wang, CEO of AI company Scale, remarked on the complexity of Biden’s AI executive order from 2023, calling it lengthy but refraining from specifying which aspects were detrimental. He conveyed optimism for the future collaboration between the tech industry and Trump’s administration, hoping to shift toward a framework with fewer constraints.
As Trump begins his administration, he has already projected a collaborative approach between governmental entities and the technology sector, according to Wang.
Regarding the previous executive order, much of Biden’s policies initiated significant reviews across government departments to understand the impact of AI on various sectors, including cybersecurity, education, and public services. According to Alexandra Reeve Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy & Technology, this foundational work continues to be accessible and beneficial even after the policy’s repeal.
Givens noted that previous AI executive orders from Trump’s first term influenced the standards established by Biden, suggesting that bipartisan themes have persisted across administrations.
The Biden administration had implemented a critical requirement for tech companies developing advanced AI models to disclose operational details to the government before public release. The political climate surrounding AI in 2023 was notably different, as fresh concerns arose about advanced AI capabilities following public remarks by major tech figures. The administration’s commitment was further solidified with support from major companies, including Amazon and Google, who welcomed oversight.
However, Biden’s order took an even stronger stance by invoking the Defense Production Act to mandate that companies provide safety test results for their AI technologies.
Some figures in the tech industry, including venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, expressed reservations about the scrutiny and regulations, worrying about American competitiveness in the global AI landscape.
In fulfilling his campaign promise, Trump has criticized Biden’s approach, portraying it as an obstacle to innovation and connecting it to broader ideological concerns about “woke AI” that purportedly reflects left-leaning biases. Nonetheless, it is important to note that Biden’s order was not aimed at suppressing free speech but included measures to combat deepfake technology and discriminatory uses of AI. A former science adviser who worked on Biden’s initiative stated that Trump’s repeal seemed politically motivated and lacked a thoughtful alternative.
Many stakeholders in the AI space view safety and civil rights as critical factors for promoting public acceptance of AI technologies. Surveys have indicated that Americans exhibit significant skepticism towards AI tools, highlighting the necessity for regulatory measures that ensure privacy and safety.
Though Trump seeks to modify some of Biden’s AI regulations, many initiatives, such as the AI Safety Institute focused on national security, remain operational. Meanwhile, Trump has yet to decide on Biden’s ongoing conflict with the tech sector regarding limitations on AI chip exports aimed at curbing Chinese access to advanced technologies.
In a recent press event, Trump mentioned a substantial investment in AI data centers and infrastructure through a new partnership involving prominent tech firms, expressing a supportive stance towards facilitating the establishment of these centers on federal lands. His remarks suggested a potential continuity with some of Biden’s recent initiatives, emphasizing the importance of infrastructure investment in the AI sector.
