Trump scraps AI safety oversight

Newly-inaugurated US President Donald Trump has rescinded a Biden administration executive order that established oversight measures for companies developing influential AI models.

The Biden policy, signed in October 2023, was largely voluntary and required major AI developers like OpenAI and Google to share safety assessments and vital information with the federal government.

It initiated a framework for AI safety standards aimed at protecting privacy and preventing civil rights violations, including racial discrimination, while also calling for safeguards against national security threats.

While major tech companies building advanced AI models supported the order, smaller tech entrepreneurs—many of whom backed Trump—opposed it.

Its repeal on Monday leaves the United States, home to most of the world’s most powerful AI models, without formal AI development guidelines.

When ChatGPT’s release caused global waves, tech leaders including Trump ally Elon Musk called for swift government action to control AI development, even as they raced to compete in the field.

The 2024 Republican party platform labeled Biden’s order “dangerous,” claiming it stifled AI innovation and imposed leftist ideology on technological development.

The US’s hands-off approach contrasts sharply with other regions implementing AI regulations.

The EU passed its comprehensive AI Act in May 2024, establishing legally binding rules based on risk levels, while China is developing its own regulatory framework.

Biden’s executive order “played a valuable role in shaping the public and private sectors’ approach to AI at a breakthrough moment for the technology,” said Alexandra Reeve Givens of the Washington-based Center for Democracy & Technology.

“But with or without the Order in effect, it’s in everyone’s interest to continue to adopt AI tools in smart, responsible ways and ensure America remains a leader in AI governance.”

© 2025 AFP