Friends, Donald Trump just issued a wildly corrupt and deeply misguided executive order that blocks state AI laws — and prevents states from holding Big Tech accountable when they inevitably cause harm.
What does this mean? Well, first of all, Pam Bondi will now be able to challenge existing state AI laws in court, like California’s AI transparency law.
And beyond that, the federal government might actually withhold funding from states that try to regulate AI.
The administration claims this EO is to allow for a federal standard — but that doesn’t exist! Congress has (so far) failed to pass any comprehensive AI legislation, so without state laws, the American people are left with no protection against AI-related harm. And there is serious harm being done — deepfakes, election disinformation, AI-generated child porn, unsafe chatbots, and more.
People are already — understandably — freaked out enough about AI taking their jobs and violating their rights. We don’t need a further erosion of public trust!
Not to mention the fact that this executive order totally ignores states’ rights. States have a clear and foundational right to address their residents’ concerns and self-regulate, especially when the federal government isn’t stepping up.
My team and I are looking at all avenues we possibly can to reverse this move, from the courts to legislation here in Congress, and I will keep pushing for common-sense federal guardrails to protect our rights and safety while we encourage innovation.
I want to know what you think about all this. Do you believe states should be able to self-regulate when it comes to AI safety? Take my quick survey and let me know.
