White House Drafts Executive Order to Override State AI Laws, Pushing Federal Supremacy

The White House is reportedly preparing an expansive executive order aimed at asserting federal control over artificial intelligence (AI) regulation, potentially overriding existing or forthcoming state-level AI legislation. A draft of the order, reviewed by Axios, indicates that the administration plans to achieve this by initiating legal challenges against state laws and leveraging federal grants as a condition for compliance.

This move signifies a significant escalation in the administration’s efforts to centralize and expedite the development of a unified U.S. AI policy. The initiative comes as President Trump has publicly advocated for a standardized federal approach to AI governance, indicating a strong desire to prevent a patchwork of differing state regulations from hindering national AI innovation and security.

The proposed executive order highlights a strategic shift towards a more consolidated federal framework for AI, seeking to harmonize the regulatory landscape and ensure consistency across the nation. By challenging state AI laws through legal means and tying federal funding to adherence to national standards, the White House aims to establish a clear federal lead in this rapidly evolving technological domain.