Even prior to his inauguration, executives speculated about what AI policy would look like under Trump, and expectations included a reduced focus on mitigating bias and an increased focus on workforce. His January executive order aimed to position the U.S. as an AI leader by reducing “barriers.”
“Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan” addresses more than 90 federal policy actions, categorized under three key “pillars”: Accelerate AI Innovation, Build American AI Infrastructure, and Lead in International AI Diplomacy and Security.
“To win the AI race, the U.S. must lead in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships,” David Sacks, special adviser for AI and crypto, said in a statement. “At the same time, we must center American workers and avoid Orwellian uses of AI.“
One policy included in the plan is that Commerce and State departments will “partner with industry to develop secure, full-stack AI export packages,” aiming to export U.S. AI tools to other countries.
As predicted, the plan includes a focus on the workforce, calling for the creation of national initiatives that could increase the ranks of electricians and HVAC technicians to support the deployment of data centers. It also calls for the release of guidance for states to identify and upskill workers impacted by AI’s advance. New federal-led pilots will aim to address worker displacement.
Another policy calls for updating federal procurement guidelines to ensure the government only contracts with frontier large language model developers that ensure their systems are free from “ideological bias.” Notably, the U.S. Department of Defense recently announced a contract with xAI, raising concerns following antisemitic responses from an AI model developed by xAI.
Early reactions to the plan are mixed, with some experts celebrating the focus on skills training and others raising concerns about the plan’s potential limitations to states’ regulatory authority.
The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill budget legislation included a moratorium on states’ ability to regulate AI until the Senate voted to strike it. The provision faced bipartisan resistance for limiting states’ rights to regulate the technologies. Republicans and Democrats agreed that both state and federal government should have a role in regulating AI.
However, in spite of this bipartisan opposition to the federal government limiting states’ regulatory authority, the AI Action Plan enables federal agencies to limit funding for states if they deem the regulations in that state could hinder the funding’s effectiveness.
Brad Carson, president of the public interest policy nonprofit Americans for Responsible Innovation, celebrated the increased oversight on issues like biosecurity in a statement.
“At the same time, the plan’s targeting of state-passed AI safeguards is cause for concern,” Carson said, arguing that public trust and safeguards will support the U.S. in achieving AI dominance.
A coalition of organizations — including Common Sense Media, Center for AI and Digital Policy, EdTech Law Center, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance — wrote a letter to members of Congress prior to the plan’s release, underlining opposition to attempts to revive the AI moratorium that legislators had previously struck from the budget bill.
“Federal action to protect kids, families, and all consumers is welcome, and we are ready to work with you on meaningful solutions — but it must not come at the expense of states' constitutional authority to protect their residents,” the letter said, underlining that states have passed laws not to block innovation but to enact safeguards for a rapidly evolving technology.
In a statement, officials at the U.S. Department of Labor celebrated the plan’s emphasis on AI skills and the technology’s impact on the labor market.
“By boosting AI literacy and investing in skills training, we’re equipping hardworking Americans with the tools they need to lead and succeed in this new era,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement about the plan.
The Information Technology Industry Council, a trade association, issued a statement from President and CEO Jason Oxman commending the plan’s inclusion of key directives for federal agencies.
