Trump Opposes Utah’s AI Safety Bill
President Trump has taken a strong stance against a proposed bill in Utah that would mandate significant artificial intelligence companies to establish plans for public safety and child protection.
According to a memo from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the administration has expressed firm opposition to Utah’s HB 286. They described it as an unchangeable measure that contradicts the administration’s goals regarding AI.
This legislation, known as the Utah AI Transparency Act HB 286, primarily targets major developers of Frontier AI technology.
As per the bill, AI developers would need to create safety and child protection plans addressing critical risks.
Bill supporters have accused Trump of attempting to undermine AI regulations. “It’s unfortunate that we’re the first to hear it,” remarked David Sachs, a Trump tech adviser. Melisa McKay, director of the Digital Childhood Institute, a parent organization in Utah, also criticized this stance, saying, “Their direct opposition shows the industry’s desire to operate without regulations and accountability, even if it compromises protections for families in Utah.”
For months, Trump has advocated for a unified national regulation framework for AI instead of a patchwork of state rules. He signed an executive order in December aimed at halting states from instituting such legislation.
This move follows unsuccessful attempts in Congress to impose a nationwide moratorium on state-level AI regulations.
Late last year, the GOP’s major initiatives, including the Big Beautiful Act and an AI moratorium within the National Defense Authorization Act, fell through due to a lack of support from Republicans.
Under the executive order, Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to establish an AI Litigation Task Force specifically to respond to states that create divergent rules concerning emerging technologies.
“If we are to continue leading in AI, there must be only one rulebook,” Trump stated on social media last year.
He further expressed concerns over managing regulations across all 50 states, particularly with the potential for bad actors. In Trump’s view, maintaining an edge in the AI race against China is critical for both national security and economic interests.
