Trump signs exectuve order, barring US states from independent AI regulations

US President Donald Trump, by signing an executive order, has barred states from enforcing artificial intelligence (AI) regulations independently.

"We want to have one central source of approval," Trump stated in a statement issued by the Oval Office, emphasising the need for a unified regulatory approach.

The order confers the Trump administration the authority to challenge what it considers "onerous" state regulations, although it will not oppose measures aimed at protecting children's safety.

This move by the Trump administration is in line with the interests of tech giants advocating for nationwide AI legislation. Major tech firms argue that inconsistent state laws would undermine innovation and hinder the US' competitive edge against China as the AI sector is changing with each passing day.

Nevertheless, the executive order has drawn political ire. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticised Trump, accusing him of corruption and undermining state laws designed to protect citizens from unregulated AI technology, as reported by Reuters.

Newsom's remarks come as California, like other states including Colorado and New York, recently implemented its own AI regulations, requiring major developers to outline risk mitigation strategies.

These differences of perspective have led to concerns that Trump's order infringes on states' individual rights to establish necessary safety measures.

Similarly, advocacy groups are of the view that state-level regulations are essential in the absence of robust federal guidelines.

Despite the opposition, proponents of the executive order, including tech lobby group NetChoice, celebrate it as a step toward establishing unified AI standards nationwide.