President-elect Trump’s record on artificial intelligence (AI) policy during his first term offers insight into how he will approach AI policy during his second term. In a new insight, Technology and Innovation Policy Analyst Angela Luna explores Trump’s first-term record on AI policy and walks through the incoming president’s future challenges.

Key points:

• Trump has signaled plans to repeal President Biden’s executive order on AI – citing concerns about its potential to hinder innovation – and may also seek to address the fragmented AI policy landscape with a unified federal AI framework.
• Alternatively, Trump may simply opt for a decentralized model in which states craft their own AI policies.
• The intensifying global AI race may lead his administration to reinforce export controls and position AI as a strategic tool for countering China; yet achieving U.S. AI leadership will hinge on the challenge of balancing innovation with national security in a competitive global landscape.

Read the analysis