Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National AI Standard, Aims to Override Patchwork of State Laws

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order on artificial intelligence designed to head off a growing wave of state-level regulations by creating a unified national standard.

“We want to have one central source of approval,” Trump told reporters, standing alongside senior advisers including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

White House AI adviser David Sacks said the order would give the administration tools to challenge what it views as the most “onerous” state rules, though he noted the federal government would not oppose regulations focused on children’s safety.

Major AI companies — including OpenAI, Google, Meta and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz — have urged Washington to take the lead on regulating AI, arguing that national oversight is essential for innovation and consistency.

But state officials from both parties have insisted they must retain the ability to implement guardrails, pointing to Congress’s long-standing failure to pass tech legislation.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed an “AI Bill of Rights” covering data privacy, parental controls and consumer protections. California Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year approved a bill requiring major AI developers to outline plans for mitigating catastrophic risks. Other states have enacted laws prohibiting AI-generated nonconsensual sexual images and unauthorized political deepfakes.