Trump Reveals Plan for U.S. AI Leadership

Published Date : 24-07-2025 

The Trump administration has rolled out an extensive AI Action Plan aimed at maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence, including support for data centers, semiconductor fabrication plants, and AI infrastructure. 

The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled an AI Action Plan aimed at maintaining U.S. dominance in the rapidly emerging artificial intelligence field. The initiative is part of an ongoing effort the White House began earlier this year with an executive order removing AI guardrails imposed by the Biden administration.

Mr. Trump spoke about the new plan during a keynote address at an AI summit in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, after which he signed executive orders to help fast-track AI development.

“Around the globe, everyone is talking about artificial intelligence,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday. “I find that too, ‘artificial’ — I can't stand it. I don't even like the name. I don't like anything that's artificial, so could we straighten that out, please? We should change the name. I actually mean that. I don't like the name artificial anything. Because it's not artificial, it's genius. It's pure genius.”

Mr. Trump said AI has the potential to “transform every type of endeavor and domain of human knowledge, from medicine to manufacturing to warfare and national defense.”

“Whether we like it or not, we're suddenly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and define this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization itself,” he said.

The Trump administration's plan, which includes more than 90 federal policy actions, broadly will:

- Support the buildout of data centers, semiconductor fabrication plants, and the nation's electric grid.

- Create rules for government contractors in an attempt to eliminate “ideological bias” in chatbots.

- Withhold funding from states that have “burdensome” AI regulations.

- Compel federal agencies to review their rules and repeal any that obstruct AI development.

- Establish a program to deliver AI export packages — including hardware, large language models, software, applications, and standards — to U.S. allies.

Mr. Trump said “a lot of very brilliant people” tell him AI will dominate virtually every industry, although he said he doesn't know if that's true. The president said AI brings the possibility of peril, as well as progress.

“The daunting power of AI is really, it's not going to be a reason for retreat from this new frontier,” Mr. Trump said. “On the contrary, it is the more reason we must ensure it is pioneered first and best.”

AI is like a “beautiful baby that's born,” he said of the technology's current state.

“We have to grow that baby and let that baby thrive,” the president said. That means allowing some regulation, but also cutting red tape, he said.

The president thanked companies present at the summit for investing in data centers and other projects, saying they'll create thousands of jobs.

The Wednesday announcement is co-hosted by the bipartisan Hill and Valley Forum and the All-In Podcast, a business and technology show hosted by four technology investors and entrepreneurs who include Mr. Trump's AI and crypto czar David Sacks.

“The goal here is for the United States to win the AI race,” Sacks said during a press call with reporters Wednesday morning.

The plan is backed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and will be carried out over the next six months to a year, according to Michael Kratsios, policy director of the OSTP.

“This is a watershed day for Trump to lay out the AI vision and make sure the U.S. stays ahead of China despite all the trade deal turmoil,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch.

The AI Action Plan focuses on accelerating AI innovation and building out AI infrastructure to ensure the U.S. leads in international “AI diplomacy,” according to Sacks, who laid out the plan's major pillars during Wednesday's call.

That includes expediting the construction of large-scale data centers, which house servers, networking gear, and other technology used to power artificial intelligence.

Thousands of data centers are scattered around the U.S. Most are connected to the nation's power grid and rely on massive amounts of electricity to operate. The proliferation of AI data centers has been cited as one of the drivers of burgeoning energy costs.

The number of data centers is only expected to grow as technology companies — including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and xAI — ramp up construction to meet the nation's growing energy demand stemming from the emergence of AI.

In addition to investments in data centers, the new White House plan also focuses on “expediting and modernizing programs” for semiconductor fabrication plants, or fabs, and updating the nation's electric grid to support the enormous energy demands of AI supercomputing, Kratsios said.

Another focus will be on reining in what White House officials have called an “ideological bias” in chatbots. This is something Sacks, a former PayPal executive, has highlighted after a 2024 incident in which Google's AI image generator created pictures of Black, Asian, and Native American men when asked to show one of the country's Founding Fathers.

“We believe that AI systems should be free of ideological bias and not be designed to pursue socially engineered agendas,” Sacks said on Wednesday. “And so we have a number of proposals there on how to make sure that doesn't happen.” 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the AI Action Plan?

A: The AI Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy by the Trump administration aimed at maintaining U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence. It includes over 90 federal policy actions to support AI infrastructure, expedite data center construction, and eliminate ideological bias in AI systems.

Q: What are the key components of the AI Action Plan?

A: Key components include supporting the buildout of data centers, semiconductor fabrication plants, and the nation's electric grid; creating rules to eliminate ideological bias in chatbots; withholding funding from states with burdensome AI regulations; and establishing a program to deliver AI export packages to U.S. allies.

Q: Why is the Trump administration focusing on AI?

A: The Trump administration is focusing on AI to maintain U.S. leadership in this rapidly emerging field, transform various industries, and ensure the country remains competitive internationally, particularly against China.

Q: How will the plan support data centers?

A: The plan will expedite the construction of large-scale data centers, which are crucial for powering artificial intelligence. This includes modernizing programs for semiconductor fabrication plants and updating the nation's electric grid to support the energy demands of AI supercomputing.

Q: What is the role of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the AI Action Plan?

A: The OSTP is backing the AI Action Plan and will be responsible for carrying out the initiatives over the next six months to a year. The policy director of the OSTP, Michael Kratsios, is overseeing the implementation of the plan. 

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