Trump Halts AI Order Over Fears It Could Hurt US Edge Over China
President Donald Trump halted a planned signing ceremony for an AI executive order, citing concerns that parts of the proposal could harm the U.S. lead over China in artificial intelligence. Trump declined to specify which aspects he opposed or when the order might be revisited. The executive order would have established a voluntary AI review process, giving federal officials early access to advanced AI models from participating companies for national security and capability testing. It also aimed to allow certain critical infrastructure providers pre-release access and included a cybersecurity measure to identify vulnerabilities in unreleased models. The move comes amid rising U.S. national security concerns about advanced AI, following demonstrations of sophisticated AI capabilities and strengthened partnerships between leading AI firms and U.S. defense agencies. Despite opposing the current form of the executive order, Trump expressed strong support for AI development, emphasizing its economic potential and reiterating his desire to avoid regulatory barriers that could impede American progress in the global AI race, particularly against China.
