Trump Pushes to Block State AI Rules

algorithms used for hiringPresident Donald Trump is renewing efforts to prevent US states from regulating artificial intelligence. This sparks concerns among lawmakers, civil rights groups, and tech-safety advocates. They are who warn the move could weaken protections as AI systems rapidly expand across daily life. According to a draft executive order obtained by CNN, the White House aims to restrict states from enforcing their own AI rules by empowering the US attorney general to challenge state laws and override them with a uniform — and far looser — federal framework. 

The plan would create an AI Litigation Task Force to preempt state-level rules governing deepfakes, hiring algorithms, consumer protections, and other high-risk applications. Trump’s draft order echoes arguments from parts of the tech industry. The draft states that the US should maintain AI leadership through a “minimally burdensome, uniform national policy.” 

The political backlash, however, is wide-ranging.
Key responses include: 

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called the effort “federal government overreach”. Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Ed Markey accused Republicans of trying to “sneak” deregulation into defense legislation. 

• Advocacy groups cite rising harms, from AI-fueled scams to cases where AI chats have been linked to suicides. As evidence that stronger, not weaker, oversight is needed. 

• The draft order surfaced shortly after Trump hosted a White House dinner attended by major AI leaders, including Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman. 

Hundreds of organizations, from tech-worker unions to consumer-protection groups, have urged Congress to reject any effort that strips states of regulatory authority over AI. They warn that national deregulation could “shield Silicon Valley from responsibility” at a time of escalating AI risks. 

 

Source: 

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/tech/trump-eo-block-state-ai-regulations-safety-concerns