The Trump administration released its long-awaited AI Action Plan on Wednesday, marking a significant departure from former President Biden’s cautious stance on AI risks. Instead, the new plan aggressively pushes for expanding AI infrastructure, reducing regulations for tech companies, strengthening national security, and competing with China. This shift could have widespread effects across industries and may even impact everyday consumers.
The plan prioritizes building data centers to support the AI industry, even if it means utilizing federal lands or maintaining operations during critical energy grid periods. It largely sidesteps concerns about AI’s potential harms, focusing instead on rapid development. However, the full impact will depend on execution, as many details remain unresolved. The document serves more as a broad blueprint than a step-by-step guide, but its direction is clear: speed and progress take precedence.
The administration frames this as the path to a “new golden age of human flourishing,” aiming to convince the public that investing billions in data centers is beneficial. The plan also includes proposals for workforce training and partnerships with local governments to create data center-related jobs.
The document was crafted by the administration’s team of AI and technology experts, many with ties to Silicon Valley. Public input was considered, with over 10,000 interest groups submitting comments.
One notable aspect of the plan is its approach to deregulation. Earlier this month, the Senate removed a controversial provision that would have barred states from regulating AI for a decade. The AI Action Plan revisits this issue, proposing to restrict federal funding for states with stringent AI regulations. It also directs the Federal Communications Commission to assess whether state AI rules interfere with federal responsibilities.
On the federal level, the plan calls for identifying regulations that hinder AI innovation, allowing agencies to take corrective action.
A major focus is accelerating AI infrastructure, including data centers, semiconductor facilities, and power sources. The administration argues that environmental regulations slow progress in the AI race. To address this, the plan seeks to streamline permitting and expand fast-track programs, even allowing construction on federal lands like national parks and military bases.
Critics have raised concerns about pollution from data centers in vulnerable communities. The plan does not directly address these issues but emphasizes stabilizing the energy grid and managing power consumption during peak demand.
The strategy also aims to limit foreign technology, particularly from China, by securing the U.S. supply chain against “adversarial technology” like Chinese-made chips.
Another key element is the plan’s stance on “biased AI.” It seeks to protect free speech and “American values” by removing references to misinformation, diversity initiatives, and climate change from federal risk assessments. The administration argues that AI should reflect objective truth rather than ideological agendas.
However, the plan’s language on neutrality raises questions. It suggests updating procurement rules to favor AI models free from “top-down ideological bias,” but defining and enforcing neutrality remains unclear. Legal experts warn that such policies could conflict with the First Amendment if not carefully implemented.
The plan also promotes open AI models, encouraging startups and researchers to access large computing resources. This move appears partly in response to China’s growing influence in open AI development.
On AI safety, the plan includes measures like research into AI interpretability and security testing through hackathons. However, it places less emphasis on mandatory safety reporting compared to Biden’s approach, aligning with tech companies’ complaints about regulatory burdens.
National security is a recurring theme, mentioned more frequently than jobs or science in the document. The plan calls for integrating AI into defense and intelligence operations while guarding against foreign threats. It directs agencies to assess AI adoption by adversaries and ensure U.S. military readiness through workforce training and automation.
Overall, the AI Action Plan reflects the administration’s aggressive push for AI dominance, prioritizing speed, deregulation, and competition with China while downplaying potential risks and regulatory oversight.