Declaring America’s ambition to dominate the global race in artificial intelligence, President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday that the U.S. would do “whatever it takes” to lead the AI revolution.
Speaking at a Washington summit just before signing three new executive orders to boost U.S. AI development, Trump contrasted his administration’s vision with that of his predecessor.
“From this day forward, it’ll be a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence,” Trump said. The president criticized the Biden administration for throttling innovation, accusing it of weaponizing AI regulations. “If you regulate [AI] too much, you kill the source of American genius and technological power,” he warned, according to a Fox News report. “I believe that Joe Biden had a plan to lose the AI race. I think he wanted to lose it.”
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Earlier that day, senior administration officials laid out a comprehensive AI initiative centered on three core pillars: protecting American workers, defending free speech, and securing U.S.-built technologies. On a press call, AI and crypto czar David Sacks emphasized the need for neutrality and safety. “We want to center America’s workers, and make sure they benefit from AI,” he said. “AI systems should be free of ideological bias and not be designed to pursue socially engineered agendas… And we also have to monitor for emerging and unforeseen risks.”
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The initiative, described as a modern “industrial revolution,” aims to clear bureaucratic obstacles that stifle innovation. Trump’s order from January tasked federal agencies with crafting an AI strategy to “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance,” due by this week. The finalized action plan outlines over 90 federal actions to accelerate innovation, expand infrastructure, and assert leadership in international AI policy.
Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stressed the importance of cutting federal red tape. “The action plan calls for freeing American AI innovation from unnecessary bureaucratic red tape,” he said. “On deregulation, we cannot afford to go down Europe’s innovation-killing regulatory path.”
He added, “Federal agencies will now review their rules on the books and repeal those that hinder AI development and deployment across industries, from financial services and agriculture to health and transportation. Instead of cultivating skepticism, our policy is to encourage and enable AI adoption across government and the private sector through regulatory sandboxes and sector-specific partnerships.”
One of Trump’s first AI moves in office was rescinding a Biden-era executive order that restricted AI technology development by requiring companies to inform the federal government about powerful tools before public release. According to the White House, the Biden rule “hinders AI innovation and imposes onerous and unnecessary government control.”
“American development of AI systems must be free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas,” the administration asserted. “With the right government policies, the United States can solidify its position as the leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.”
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A major win for the Trump administration came just this week with Oracle and OpenAI announcing an expansion of the Stargate project, a plan to build massive U.S.-based AI data centers. The $500 billion investment, backed by Oracle, OpenAI, SoftBank, and MGX, will increase Stargate’s capacity by 4.5 gigawatts and is expected to create over 100,000 jobs.
Sacks highlighted the infrastructure push: “We want the U.S. to lead in data centers and in the energy that powers those data centers.” That effort builds on Trump’s recent visit to Carnegie Mellon University, where he promoted $90 billion in private-sector AI and energy investments meant to transform Pennsylvania into a national innovation hub.
Other executive orders have also targeted AI-related workforce development and energy grid expansion. In April, Trump signed an order focused on preparing future generations for AI careers through educational initiatives.
Kratsios reaffirmed the urgency of maintaining the U.S. edge. “We’re not alone in recognizing the economic, geopolitical, and national security importance of AI, which is why winning the AI race is non-negotiable.”
Vice President JD Vance echoed those sentiments earlier this year in a forceful speech delivered in Paris, pushing back on international regulation of U.S. tech firms. “America cannot and will not accept that, and we think it’s a terrible mistake,” he said. “We face the extraordinary prospect of a new industrial revolution… But it will never come to pass if over-regulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball.”
