President Donald Trump announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at regulating artificial intelligence at the federal level, arguing that the United States will only win the AI race if companies can work under “one rulebook.” In a Truth Social post, President Trump answered longstanding questions about the future of AI regulation, seeking to avoid different regulation standards within all 50 states, which he argues would hinder growth. A truism.

     “There must be only One Rulebook if we are going to continue to lead in AI. We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS,” Trump wrote. “THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS! AI WILL BE DESTROYED IN ITS INFANCY! I will be doing a ONE RULE Executive Order this week. You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something. THAT WILL NEVER WORK!” he added.

     Critics argue that a uniform federal AI rulebook could weaken accountability by reducing both overall oversight and the specialized state-level regulations needed to address local problems. In May, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a bipartisan push, along with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, in opposing a federal ban on state regulation of AI. 

     “The combined efforts of the states and the federal government have been, at best, barely enough to protect consumers from Big Tech,” Skrmetti stated at the time.  “AI has incredible potential but amplifies every risk we’ve seen from Big Tech and creates new risks we don’t fully understand. Eliminating state oversight through this reconciliation amendment guarantees Americans will suffer repeated violations of their privacy, consumer protection, and antitrust laws,” he continued.

     “AI promises to revolutionize America’s economy, spur achievement and innovation, and improve lives across the country. However, the rise of such technology presents real, immediate dangers ranging from explicit material and election interference to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers. In the absence of federal leadership, state legislatures and attorneys general have continued to be at the forefront of ensuring AI is not abused and that consumers are protected.”