President Donald Trump announced plans to issue a “One Rule Executive Order” aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, a move that has raised concerns among lawmakers about potential conflicts with state-level regulations. In a social media post on Monday, Trump asserted that the U.S. is leading the world in AI development, but warned that this status could be jeopardized by having “50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in rules and approval processes.”
Trump’s executive order is expected to be signed later this week, emphasizing the need for a unified federal standard. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 approvals every time they want to do something. That will never work!” he wrote.
The exact contents of the forthcoming order remain unclear; however, a draft reportedly circulated last month suggests it may include measures to empower the U.S. Attorney General to challenge state laws related to AI. Additionally, it could enable federal agencies to withhold broadband grants from states that do not comply with the national regulations.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a prominent Democrat from Minnesota, expressed apprehensions that such an order could undermine existing state laws, particularly as Congress has yet to enact significant federal legislation on AI issues. Her concerns are underscored by her support for a bill targeting “revenge porn” generated by AI, which was one of the few legislative actions taken in this area.
“If you have a federal law, which we must do, then you can maybe say to the states, ‘Hey, this governs instead,'” Klobuchar stated in an interview. “But when you have nothing because the companies have lobbied against any rules at all to protect the safety of people and their kids — the last thing you should do is then say, ‘We’re going to get rid of all the state’s work on this.'” She emphasized the necessity of establishing “rules of the road” to protect individuals as AI technologies advance.
Many states, including Minnesota, have taken steps to legislate AI regulations. In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill aimed at addressing the misuse of “deepfakes,” which are manipulated images, videos, and audio that can be used to harm political candidates or influence elections. The same legislation criminalized the distribution of non-consensual sexual images generated by AI, echoing the intent of the federal “Take It Down” Act.
Eric Lucero, a Republican state senator with a background in cybersecurity, acknowledged the urgency of establishing national security measures around AI, likening the current technological landscape to a new “space race.” He underscored the importance of balancing federal oversight with state autonomy in addressing AI issues. “Congress should have answered this question years ago. Because they have not, that’s why there have been bipartisan efforts at the state level to protect individuals’ data,” Lucero remarked.
Lucero hopes that any executive order from Trump will consider the importance of state-level initiatives aimed at preventing AI misuse. He mentioned the need for regulations surrounding facial recognition technology and other biometric applications. Meanwhile, state senator Erin Maye Quade, a Democrat, has advocated for a ban on “nudify” apps that exploit existing images to generate realistic nude depictions, raising serious ethical concerns in light of recent federal charges against an employee who misused similar technology to create sexualized images of children.
“Companies’ haphazard, ‘wild west’ rollout of this technology shows that they do not care about the harm AI creates when misused,” Maye Quade stated. “Advocates and elected officials across the political spectrum have sounded the alarm and introduced bipartisan legislation in state houses across the country designed to protect our constituents and harness AI’s potential when used to help, not harm.” She urged Congress to take comprehensive regulatory action as more states introduce AI legislation; the National Conference of State Legislatures reported that 38 states have proposed around 100 bills this year addressing AI.
As discussions around AI regulation continue to evolve, the intersection of federal and state laws will remain a critical area of focus, particularly as stakeholders across the political spectrum seek to establish frameworks that safeguard the interests and rights of individuals in an increasingly digital world.
See also
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