President Trump Signs Executive Orders on AI
Summary
On July 23, 2025, President Trump signed three Executive Orders following the release of America’s AI Action Plan. These Orders aim to advance the United States’ leadership in artificial intelligence by addressing key areas identified in the Action Plan, including infrastructure development, promoting the export of American AI technology and maintaining unbiased AI systems.
1. “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure”
This Order aims to facilitate the buildout of AI data centers and related infrastructure by easing Federal regulatory burdens.
- Revokes Executive Order 14141, Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence (Jan. 14, 2025).
- Prioritizes use of federally owned land and resources for data center development.
- Directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide financial support for Qualifying Projects, which include data center projects with significant capital expenditures, electric load addition or national security importance.
- Mandates Federal agencies to identify and establish new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to streamline environmental reviews for qualifying projects.
- Expedites Qualifying Projects through the FAST-41 process, allowing for designation as a transparency project, publication on the Permitting Dashboard and expedited transition to a covered project.
- Directs the EPA administrator to streamline permitting regulations under major environmental laws (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA and TSCA) and identify Brownfield and Superfund Sites for productive use by Qualifying Projects.
- Initiates programmatic consultations under the Endangered Species Act and review of nationwide permits issued under the Clean Water Act and Rivers and Harbors Act to facilitate efficient biological and water permitting.
- Requires the Departments of Interior, Energy and Defense to identify and make Federal and military lands available for Qualifying Projects, as appropriate and to support the Department of Defense’s energy, workforce and mission needs.
2. Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack
This Order seeks to ensure that American technologies, standards and governance models are adopted worldwide to strengthen relationships with allies and secure America’s continued technological dominance.
- Directs the Secretary of Commerce to create the “American AI Exports Program” within 90 days to support the development and deployment of United States full-stack AI export packages, and issue a public call for proposals from industry consortia for inclusion in the Program.
- Requires the proposals to:
- Include a full-stack AI technology package, which encompasses AI-optimized computer hardware (e.g., chips, servers and accelerators), data center storage, cloud services, and networking; data pipelines and labeling systems; AI models and systems; security measures; and AI applications for specific use-cases
- Identify target countries or regional blocs for export engagement
- Describe a business model, including which entities will build, own and operate data centers and associated infrastructure
- Detail requested Federal incentives and support
- Comply with all US export control regimes, outbound investment regulations and end-user policies.
- Directs the Commerce Secretary to evaluate and designate proposals as “priority AI export packages” that will receive priority access to Federal financing tools.
- Mobilizes Federal financing tools through the Economic Diplomacy Action Group (EDAG) to support the priority AI export packages with direct loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, co-financing, political risk insurance, credit guarantees, and technical assistance and feasibility studies.
- Tasks EDAG with promoting AI deployment and export by developing a unified Federal Government strategy; coordinating resources, fostering pro-innovation environments in partner countries; analyzing market access, including barriers that may impede competitiveness of US offerings and coordinating with the Small Business Administration to facilitate AI-related investment in small businesses.
3. “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government”
This Order addresses concerns about ideological bias in Large Language Models (LLMs) procured by the Federal government. The Order highlights examples where AI models altered historical facts or showed bias base on race or sex, and states that its purpose is to ensure reliable and accurate AI outputs by preventing ideological biases and social agendas, such as “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) concepts, from distorting information in AI models. The Order seeks to build on Executive Order 13960, Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government (Dec. 3, 2020).
- Mandates that Federal Agencies procure only those LLMs developed in accordance with the following Unbiased AI Principles:
- “Truth-seeking. LLMs shall be truthful in responding to user prompts seeking factual information or analysis. LLMs shall prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and shall acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory.”
- “Ideological Neutrality. LLMs shall be neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas such as DEI. Developers shall not intentionally encode partisan or ideological judgments into an LLM’s outputs unless those judgments are prompted by or otherwise readily accessible to the end user.”
- Directs the OMB director to issue guidance within 120 days for agencies to implement this procurement mandate.
- Requires Federal agencies to include compliance terms with the Unbiased AI Principles in each Federal contract for an LLM following the date of the OMB guidance.
Additional Information
- Akin Client Alert: White House Issues Long-Awaited AI Action Plan and Accompanying Executive Orders
- Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Accelerates Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure
- Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Promotes the Export of American AI Technologies
- Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Prevents Woke AI in the Federal Government
