Trump overturns Biden's executive order on AI risks

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump repealed a 2023 executive order by Joe Biden aimed at addressing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) to consumers, workers, and national security.

Biden’s order required AI developers to share the results of safety tests for systems that could pose risks to national security, the economy, public health or safety. This mandate, under the Defense Production Act, ensured that such tests were submitted to the U.S. government before releasing AI systems to the public. It also tasked federal agencies with creating standards for these tests while addressing associated risks. Some of these risks include cybersecurity, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

The Republican Party’s 2024 platform had criticised the order, arguing that it stifled AI innovation. The party emphasised that Republicans support AI development that “promotes free speech” and benefits humanity, leading to Trump's decision to repeal it.

Generative AI, capable of producing text, images and videos from simple prompts, has sparked both excitement and concerns, including fears about job losses and other negative impacts. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have struggled to pass comprehensive legislation to regulate AI development effectively.

Trump's decision comes shortly after the U.S. Commerce Department introduced new restrictions on AI chip and technology exports. These restrictions faced pushback from industry leaders, including Nvidia, who criticised their potential impact on innovation.

However, Trump did not repeal another recent executive order by Biden, which sought federal support to address the high energy demands of advanced AI data centres. That order also called for utilising federal sites owned by the Defense and Energy Departments for AI infrastructure expansion.