The Trump administration has unveiled a new AI action plan focused on deregulation and boosting exports, marking a sharp break from the previous administration's approach to artificial intelligence.
The plan, announced Wednesday, aims to accelerate AI development in the US and strengthen the country's global technological leadership. According to Reuters, President Donald Trump described the race with China as a defining battle of the 21st century and emphasized that America intends to win it. The action plan, which includes around 90 recommendations, was shaped by White House AI Czar David Sacks, Senior AI Adviser Sriram Krishnan, and Tech Policy Chief Michael Kratsios.
Trump: AI companies should not pay for all training data
Following the announcement, Trump's position on copyright and AI training data proved to be a particularly controversial element. Speaking at an AI summit, Trump claimed that requiring AI companies to pay for every piece of copyrighted content used to train their models would be impractical. He likened AI training to the way a person learns from reading content, suggesting that AI should be permitted to learn from this pool of knowledge without the need for complicated licensing agreements. This stance contrasts with ongoing lawsuits from creators and publishers, as well as a recent legislative proposal that would require the consent of copyright holders.
Another key element of the plan targets alleged ideological bias in AI models. According to the AI Action Plan, the US government will only contract with developers whose systems are free from "ideological bias." The stated goal is for government-procured AI to reflect objective truth rather than advance social engineering agendas. The General Service Administration (GSA), the federal agency responsible for supporting government infrastructure and operations, will draft the relevant regulations. Trump's political allies have previously accused models like ChatGPT and Gemini of left-leaning bias.
Fewer regulations, more exports
The plan also calls for sweeping deregulation to speed up AI development. Environmental regulations would be eased to accelerate data center construction and energy infrastructure, according to Reuters. The administration is pushing for a single federal standard and threatening to withhold funding from states that impose what it calls burdensome AI regulations.
This new strategy reverses many of the policies enacted by Joe Biden, who had prioritized safety and imposed export restrictions on AI chips. Trump has rescinded those orders and now aims to dramatically expand the export of complete US AI packages - including hardware, software, and models - to allies, with the goal of establishing American technology as the global standard.
