Trump’s surprising AI agenda: What to expect next
In general, Trump will likely pick up where his first administration left off in January 2020, when it issued guidance to federal agencies about AI. The memo called on the government to reduce barriers to AI development and adoption and avoid regulations that hamper innovation and growth, said Adam Thierer, a senior fellow at the R Street Institute, a center-right think tank in Washington, D.C.
One thing that may be on the chopping block is the AI Safety Institute (AISI). The executive order directed the Department of Commerce to create the institute, housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is intended to evaluate the safety of the most advanced artificial intelligence to national security, public safety, and individual rights…
However, there are many supporters inside and outside government who don’t want the AISI to vanish, said Thierer. A group of tech industry players and think tanks have been pushing Congress to make the AISI permanent before the end of the year, and before Trump takes office.
If AISI survives, Trump could appoint new leaders to it that, in a twist, could be among those who fear AI is long-term risk to humanity. Among those who have talked about the dangers is Musk, who is now in a position to influence Trump’s AI policies and his picks for the AISI’s leadership. “Trump could turn to Musk and say, ‘Who do you want to bring in?’” said Thierer. “And that’s going to be a really interesting moment…”
But there is also a strong push to block unfriendly nations from getting access to advanced AI, due to national security concerns, by regulating AI exports and limiting cybersecurity improvements. For example, Chinese researchers reportedly developed an AI model for military use by building on Meta’s open source model, Llama.
“That is going to be a high-level cat fight all the way up,” Thierer said about the coming debate within the Trump administration about how to regulate open source AI…
You can also expect pushback on so-called woke AI, Thierer said, using a term for AI that is considered too left-leaning. Trump could use an executive order to pressure tech companies to disclose or revise algorithms deemed politically biased, or establish guidelines or oversight that review algorithms for bias, ensuring they do not favor one political viewpoint over another…
“Conservatives, since the time Trump left office and his de-platforming on X, have been very fired up about what they regard as algorithmic bias or discrimination,” Thierer said. “I’ve pushed back myself kind of aggressively against that, but the bottom line is they feel it’s very real, and it made for a strong shift by MAGA conservatives against so-called woke tech issues…”
Trump’s tech supporters are willing to work closely with the government on national security issues to counter China, Thierer said. It’s a big change from recent years when Big Tech largely balked at allying with Washington. “This is a very different voice from Silicon Valley than in the past,” Thierer said.