Trump calls on Congress to pass federal standard on AI regulation

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump called on lawmakers Tuesday to pass a national standard on artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, alleging that state-level laws are stifling growth.

"Investment in AI is helping to make the U.S. Economy the “HOTTEST” in the World, but overregulation by the States is threatening to undermine this major growth 'engine,'" Trump said on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social.

He claimed without evidence that "some states are even trying to embed DEI ideology into AI models, producing 'Woke AI,'" telling lawmakers that "We must have one federal standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes."

"If we don’t, then China will easily catch us in the AI race. Put it in the NDAA, or pass a separate Bill, and nobody will ever be able to compete with America," he added.

It is unclear if lawmakers will heed Trump's appeal, but House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is reportedly seeking to add language to the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit state regulation of AI, according to Punchbowl News.

Language to preempt state regulation of AI for 10 years was ultimately removed from Trump's budget bill this summer after it faced strong opposition from some of his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already come out vocally against the effort to renew the AI regulatory push, saying "stripping states of jurisdiction to regulate AI is a subsidy to Big Tech and will prevent states from protecting against online censorship of political speech, predatory applications that target children, violations of intellectual property rights and data center intrusions on power/water resources."

"The rise of AI is the most significant economic and cultural shift occurring at the moment; denying the people the ability to channel these technologies in a productive way via self-government constitutes federal government overreach and lets technology companies run wild," he said on the US social media company X’s platform. "Not acceptable."