Trump's last-minute AI order switch exposes White House divides
Key takeaways
- Trump told reporters Thursday he didn t like certain aspects of the order, expressing concerns over how it could hinder the U.S. in its race with China to dominate AI development.
- The president reportedly reversed course after speaking with industry leaders, including former White House AI and cryptocurrency czar, David Sacks, who favors a more hands-off approach.
- I think [the executive order] gets in the way of …we re leading China, we re leading everybody, and I don t want to do anything that s gonna get in the way of that lead, Trump told reporters.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
After ushering tech leaders to the White House for a signing ceremony Thursday, Trump s 11th-hour decision to scrap the order displayed his administration s struggle to land on a unified AI stance as Silicon Valley holds sway at the top.
Trump told reporters Thursday he didn t like certain aspects of the order, expressing concerns over how it could hinder the U.S. in its race with China to dominate AI development.
The president reportedly reversed course after speaking with industry leaders, including former White House AI and cryptocurrency czar, David Sacks, who favors a more hands-off approach. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly spoke with the president on Thursday.