On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump unveiled his plan to position the United States as the “world capital” of artificial intelligence (AI), detailing steps to streamline data center regulations, update federal content standards, and favor select AI developers for government contracts.
On Wednesday, the White House released its plan to make the United States a global leader in artificial intelligence research and development.
Specifically, the White House published a report presenting a three-pillar plan, with initiatives to encourage open-source AI development for applications across law, healthcare, defense, science, education, and manufacturing.
A primary policy objective of the plan is to safeguard freedom of speech and online expression within AI models. The document indicates that the Department of Commerce (DOC) will spearhead the free speech initiative, collaborating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to remove references to misinformation, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and climate change.
Despite its stated aim of fostering open-source AI development, the report also included a provision to grant government contracts solely to “frontier large language model (LLM) developers.” The report did not specify what constitutes a “frontier” AI developer.
Trump has frequently stated his desire to establish America as the “world capital” of AI development, which involves bolstering the US energy grid to supply the immense power AI requires.
Powering Progress: Infrastructure and Energy
The Trump administration wrote that accelerating AI infrastructure through the construction of data centers is central to the plan.
The expedited approval process for AI data centers involves re-categorizing high-performance computing facilities under the revamped National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and loosening permitting requirements under existing regulations.
The plan stipulates that AI data centers would qualify for expedited permitting approval, despite previous stipulations outlined in the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.
Additionally, the strategy seeks to “stabilize the grid of today as much as possible” by developing alternative energy-generation technologies such as nuclear fusion and fission.
Finally, the plan contains objectives to return semiconductor manufacturing, central to the creation of AI and computer processors, to the US.
Export Controls, Sanctions to Steer Global AI Development
“To succeed in the global AI competition, America must do more than promote AI within its own borders. The United States must also drive adoption of American AI systems, computing hardware, and standards throughout the world,” the report reads.
This encompasses bolstering AI export controls and trade policies through a collaboration involving the US Trade and Development Agency, the Export-Import Bank, the US International Development Finance Corporation, the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce.
