The Trump administration rolled out its new AI strategy, aiming to boost US global dominance against China. The 25-page “America’s AI Action Plan” dropped Wednesday with 90 policy proposals.
Key moves include expanding AI data centers across the US and scrapping federal regulations that allegedly slow AI growth—though the exact rules targeted remain unclear. The plan promises to counter Chinese influence in global AI governance and tighten export controls on AI tech but doesn’t explain how.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the plan will “ensure America sets the technological gold standard worldwide, and that the world continues to run on American technology.” White House AI czar David Sacks declared, “We believe we’re in an AI race … and we want the United States to win that race.” 
The plan also flags AI model censorship, promising systems “objective and free from top-down ideological bias” — a nod to concerns over liberal bias in AI, especially from conservatives. The Wall Street Journal reports the focus may be on models emphasizing diversity and inclusion.
Samir Jain from the Center for Democracy & Technology slammed the plan:
> “The government should not be acting as a Ministry of AI Truth or insisting that AI models hew to its preferred interpretation of reality.”
> “The plan is highly unbalanced, focusing too much on promoting the technology while largely failing to address the ways in which it could potentially harm people.”
Meanwhile, the new rules will fast-track permits for new data centers and energy facilities powering AI infrastructure. Environmental costs tied to AI’s huge power needs get barely a mention. Google’s 2024 sustainability report showed a 48% rise in data center greenhouse gas emissions since 2019.
The plan aligns with the EPA’s pending rollback of the greenhouse gas “endangerment finding,” which shields energy and industrial operations from climate regulations. Trump’s team also plans to ease environmental reviews and open federal lands for AI projects.
The administration insists AI will “improve the lives of Americans by complementing their work — not replacing it.” But recent job cuts reveal a different story. Recruit Holdings slashed 1300 jobs citing AI, and Salesforce said AI now handles 30-50% of its work, after a 1,000-staff layoff earlier this year.
Investor reaction was mixed. NVIDIA shares rose 2.1%, Palantir 3.6%, and Oracle 1.5%. Microsoft edged up 0.3%. Alphabet fell 0.5%.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives called it a “watershed moment” for US AI in the global race with China.
Trump is expected to announce executive orders outlining parts of the plan at 5pm ET (21:00 GMT).
