Trump Moves to Block State AI Regulation

The Trump administration has released a new legislative framework for artificial intelligence, advocating for a primarily hands-off federal approach while aiming to preempt state-level AI regulations that could create a patchwork of conflicting laws. This blueprint, which requires congressional action to become law, prioritizes accelerating American innovation to secure global leadership in the field. It outlines seven key principles, focusing on child safety, copyright ambiguity, and preventing a surge in electricity costs, all while emphasizing federal supremacy in setting the national strategy.

Central to the proposal are enhanced protections for minors. It encourages laws similar to the recently enacted Take It Down Act, which targets non-consensual AI-generated intimate imagery. The plan also supports privacy-protective age verification measures for platforms likely accessed by young people and suggests limits on training AI models with children’s data. However, it cautions against setting overly vague content standards that could lead to excessive lawsuits. For the broader public, the framework considers establishing federal protections against the unauthorized use of AI-generated digital replicas of a person’s likeness or voice, though it insists on including clear exceptions for parody, satire, and news reporting.

On the contentious issue of AI and copyright, the administration adopts a wait-and-see stance. The document asserts a belief that training AI models on copyrighted material does not constitute infringement but acknowledges opposing arguments. It explicitly advises Congress to avoid legislation on the matter, instead allowing courts to resolve the fair use question through existing legal pathways. The blueprint further highlights the need to combat AI-enabled fraud targeting vulnerable groups like seniors, though it provides few specifics on how to augment law enforcement efforts.

A recurring theme is the push for federal preemption of state AI laws. The framework argues that AI development is an interstate issue with national security implications, making it unsuitable for a “fifty discordant” regulatory landscape. It seeks to shield AI developers from liability for third-party misuse of their models. A notable exception is carved out for child safety, where states would retain the ability to enforce their own general laws against abuses like child sexual abuse material, even when AI-generated. This concession follows bipartisan concern from numerous state attorneys general about overriding local protections.

The overarching goal is to remove barriers to innovation. The document urges Congress to facilitate access to federal datasets in “AI-ready formats” for training purposes and definitively rejects creating a new, dedicated AI regulatory body. Instead, it advocates for sector-specific oversight through existing expert agencies. The plan also addresses infrastructure concerns, recommending that Congress ensure residential electricity rates do not spike due to new AI data center construction while simultaneously streamlining federal permits to accelerate that very development.

The framework reiterates commitments to free speech, warning against government coercion of AI providers to censor content based on partisan agendas. It proposes creating avenues for legal redress if federal agencies overstep. This follows recent administration actions, including an executive order targeting so-called “woke AI” in government and the blacklisting of a company for limiting military use of its models, which the company claims violates its First Amendment rights.