The Biden administration’s focus on “AI safety” appears to have come to an end.
Recently, the Trump administration unveiled its AI Action Plan, outlining a bold approach to replace cautious bureaucratic oversight with direct objectives: essentially, to dominate the global AI landscape.
The plan, led by David Sachs, a close ally of Trump, emphasizes innovation, infrastructure, and American jobs over theoretical concerns regarding AI risks.
In a noteworthy shift, the Department of Commerce has rebranded its AI Safety Institute as the AI Standards and Innovation Center, which feels more like a symbolic gesture but also signals a change in direction.
During a press conference, Sachs and Michael Kratsios—who directs the science and technology policy department—described three main components of their initiative. This includes feedback from over 10,000 public comments as part of Executive Order 14179.
1. Speed Up AI Innovation
The foremost aim of the plan is to unleash American innovation by cutting red tape and encouraging broad adoption of AI technologies. Sachs insists that leveraging the full potential of AI is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and achieving “unquestioned” global technological leadership.
Kratsios indicated that deregulation is pivotal, especially in sectors like healthcare, energy, and scientific research. It’s about fostering a factual foundation for AI development, rather than allowing politically driven narratives to shape the landscape.
2. Build Infrastructure Quickly
To ensure American leadership in AI, robust physical infrastructure is essential—think chip manufacturing facilities, data centers, and a power grid capable of supporting them. The plan seeks to simplify the permitting process and stimulate domestic manufacturing while also generating skilled jobs in fields like electrical engineering and advanced HVAC.
3. Global Leadership
The Trump team’s vision is to position the U.S. as the go-to partner for AI endeavors globally. They will offer comprehensive export packages to allies, covering everything from hardware to software and trained models. The goal is a vast international ecosystem anchored in American technology.
A significant part of this plan involves a strict policy against any ideological bias by collaborating only with LLM developers who avoid “politically motivated” filters, especially those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Watch for Orwell
Sachs and Kratsios were clear that the initiative aims to defend free expression and prevent the use of AI for social manipulation. Federal contracts will eschew any systems that could suppress politically favorable speech.
Interestingly, the plan does not address the contentious topic of AI utilizing copyrighted content. Officials claim this falls under fair use doctrine and is not within the current scope of the enforcement division.
“National Security Order”
The AI Action Plan kicks off with a preamble from President Trump labeling this initiative as a matter of national security.
As global competitors race to leverage these technologies, it is a national security imperative for the U.S. to secure and uphold an undisputed technological advantage. Harnessing the full power of American innovation is essential.
The administration plans to roll this out over the next six to twelve months, collaborating with industry and international partners to move forward.
