Former President Donald Trump is set to unveil his ambitious AI Action Plan, designed to advance his administration’s agenda with a renewed focus on artificial intelligence. The plan provides a roadmap for approach, priorities and issues with AI, and equity engagement. It represents a major down payment on a commitment to cement America’s leadership in this fast moving technological frontier.
In the first half of his administration, Trump led efforts to accelerate development of American AI technology. He championed its quick distribution. This new action plan will provide a clear blueprint that addresses the most critical and pressing industry challenges. It will lead to greater innovation and enhanced infrastructure.
Key Focus Areas of Trump’s AI Strategy
Trump’s AI strategy will center on three primary pillars: infrastructure, innovation, and global influence. These are welcome components, designed to make sure the United States continues to lead AI development and deployment.
On infrastructure, Trump’s administration is said to be working on redefining permitting rules that would speed up the construction of AI data hubs. This move greatly accelerates access to scarce resources that are crucial to foundational AI advancements. Train American workers to be productive and innovative—so that American companies are competitive in the global market.
Trump’s administration has promised he will sign at least three industry-focused executive orders on Artificial Intelligence. These orders will likely include provisions that grease the skids for the construction of new data centers. These orders will cut red tape. In return, they will accelerate the adoption of AI technologies throughout government and the private sector.
Addressing Concerns Over Copyright and “Woke” AI
One major thing to note about Trump’s AI Action Plan is that it is a direct response to requests from America’s top AI model developers. Many industry leaders have urged Trump to ensure that training large language models on copyrighted material falls under fair use. Such a clarification would go a long way toward addressing genuine concerns regarding IP rights and further encouraging innovation and creativity in the burgeoning AI space.
Moreover, one of the executive orders Trump plans to sign will specifically target what he refers to as “woke” AI models. Similarly, Trump’s administration has come under significant protest from academics, the tech community, and other organizations that have encouraged a pushback against ideological favoritism in technology creation.
“We can’t let Big Tech and Big Oil lobbyists write the rules for AI and our economy at the expense of our freedom and equality, workers and families’ well-being.” – A group of more than 90 organizations including labor, environmental justice, and consumer protection non-profits.
Investment in Infrastructure and Energy Modernization
Trump’s commitment to modernizing America’s infrastructure goes way further than just data centers. Among other things, his administration has pledged to modernize the electrical grid. They’ll create new energy resources to power the rapidly-growing data center sector as well. This initiative is part of a larger effort to build a strong, sustainable AI economy, but to be proactive about environmental impact.
Beyond actual infrastructure improvements, to his administration’s credit, Trump has worked to clear the path for investments in major projects. Notably, Trump played a crucial role in helping OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank announce their multi-billion dollar Stargate data center project. This joint partnership announcement underscores the administration’s continuing and admirable efforts to build bridges with the leaders of the tech community.
Furthermore, Trump’s decision to relax restrictions on Nvidia’s global sales of AI chips signals a commitment to bolstering domestic capabilities while enhancing international competitiveness. All of these actions should be viewed as pieces in a larger strategy to keep American firms at the forefront of the global AI economy.
Legislative Challenges Ahead
Trouble is brewing on the legislative horizon, even in light of these ambitious plans. Meanwhile, several state lawmakers are pursuing introduction of bills that would create safety and security reporting requirements for AI technologies. These proposals will face pushback from within Trump’s administration as well as from Republican lawmakers committed to the deregulatory agenda in favor of deregulation.
Trump is preparing to release additional specifics on his AI Action Plan in the lead-up to the “Winning the AI Race” summit. There are still many unknowns as to how this will affect American universities. Further compounding the problem, Trump’s administration systematically defunded research initiatives at these institutions. This decision has led many to question the fate of the academic contributions that have long underpinned advancements in AI.
