President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at challenging state-level artificial intelligence legislation that the administration considers “excessive.”
Trump’s order was long anticipated and is a win for tech industry leaders who have been advocating for light regulation from states and the federal government. The president teased signing one last month, but backed down after Republican congressional leaders reportedly asked him to give them more time to work out legislation addressing AI.
“We’re leading China by a lot, China knows that, and not doing this would be the greatest gift to China … that China has ever received,” Trump said Thursday in the Oval Office.