President Donald Trump signed the executive order for a national AI framework last week|@WhiteHouse|X
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order mandating a national AI framework that overrides states’ AI regulations is receiving pushback from both sides of the aisle.
What are they saying?
The measure, championed by tech investor and Trump’s new AI czar David Sacks, has received criticism over several points.
Prominent Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, have advocated for states’ ability to implement AI guardrails.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders questioned whether AI’s main goal is simply to enrich the already powerful, citing tech leaders’ own predictions of widespread job elimination.
The executive order seeks to block state-level AI rules in favor of a single national framework, with the White House and tech companies warning that fragmented regulation would stifle innovation and weaken competition with China. Meanwhile, Big Tech welcomes the order.
The Trump administration stresses the economic benefits of AI, comparing it to past introductions of electricity or computers. However, experts like AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton warn that this technological shift is fundamentally different.
Hinton cautions that displaced workers may not have new jobs to transition to, leading to “massive social disruption” that comes through high unemployment.
In a Stagwell survey of CEOs, 70% said they expect AI to weaken the US job market. American tech companies continue to commit trillions of dollars towards artificial intelligence.
The Wall Street Journal notes that pollsters say AI is not a significant issue for voters at the moment, as they worry more about inflation and immigration.