President Trump said Monday he will sign an executive order this week aimed at creating a single national rule governing artificial intelligence, a move designed to override the growing patchwork of state-level AI laws. The announcement signals a major federal push to centralize oversight of rapidly advancing AI technologies.
Tech companies have long argued that inconsistent state regulations create costly complexity and slow innovation. By replacing multiple state frameworks with one national standard, the executive order would give companies a clearer path to developing and deploying AI systems across the country without navigating dozens of separate approval processes.
The move is widely seen as a win for large technology firms, many of which have strengthened ties with the White House amid the escalating global race to lead in artificial intelligence. A unified rule could accelerate product rollouts in areas such as automation, data analysis, and advanced decision-making tools.
However, the plan is expected to face resistance from both Democratic and Republican state leaders. Several governors and attorneys general have previously argued that states must retain the authority to regulate AI in order to protect residents from risks such as biased algorithms, data misuse, and consumer harm.
With AI deployment accelerating faster than traditional regulation, the executive order sets the stage for a broader debate over who should control AI oversight in the United States — Washington or the states — and how innovation can be balanced with accountability as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday life.
