Trump Grants His Greedy Big Tech Buddies’ Christmas Wish With Dangerous AI Preemption EO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Donald Trump today announced a new executive order that he said would preempt state-level artificial intelligence regulations. The executive order threatens to nullify dozens of laws across red and blue states protecting people from AI harms, despite the fact that federal AI regulations are virtually nonexistent.
Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, released the following statement in response:
“With today’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI), Donald Trump is doing his best to take care of his Big Tech buddies and donors. This reward to Big Tech is a disgraceful invitation to reckless behavior by the world’s largest corporations and a complete override of the federalist principles that Trump and MAGA claim to venerate.
“Everyone should understand why this is happening: During and since the last election cycle, Big Tech has spent at least $1.1 billion on campaign contributions and lobby expenditures. Big Tech corporations poured money into Trump’s inaugural committee and to pay for his garish White House ballroom. A major Big Tech and AI investor is serving as Trump’s “AI czar” and driving administration policy.
“While Trump has ensured the federal government is doing almost nothing to address the harms that AI is already causing, states are moving forward with sensible AI regulation. These include efforts to address political deepfakes, nonconsensual intimate deepfakes, algorithmic pricing manipulation, consumer protection measures, excessive data center electricity and water demand, and much more. Big Tech is whining about these modest measures, but there is zero evidence that these rules are impeding innovation; in fact, they are directing innovation in more positive directions.
“But Big Tech wants to be free to inflict AI technologies on Americans with no restraints at all. And Big Tech knows that while it has a headlock on the federal government, its political power is much weaker at the state level. The public overwhelmingly favors AI regulation, states are acting, and state officials overwhelmingly oppose federal preemption. That’s why the Big Tech corporations are demanding preemption and it’s why Trump has issued the EO at their behest.
“The good news is, this EO is mostly bluster. The President cannot unilaterally preempt state law. States should refuse to be cowed in regulating Big Tech. We expect the EO to be challenged in court and defeated; in the meantime, states should continue their efforts to protect their residents from the mounting dangers of unregulated AI.”
Public Citizen tracks state-level legislation regulating election deepfakes, non-consensual intimate deepfakes, and the use of AI in health care coverage decisions and has supported state lawmakers of both parties in writing and enacting laws to protect people from AI harms. For more information, or to speak with an expert, contact Emily Leach, eleach@citizen.org.