Trump Advocates for One Federal Standard Instead of Patchwork of State Regulatory Schemes
The Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies is condemning a proposal from President Donald Trump to prohibit states from regulating artificial intelligence.
“AI offers incredible opportunities to improve lives — streamlining services, boosting innovation, and solving complex problems. We should embrace these benefits and harness the good that AI can bring. But with such far-reaching technology, common-sense protections are essential,” Sen. Barry Finegold, said in a statement Thursday.
Finegold’s spokesperson confirmed that he was referring to news reports from CNN that Trump has a draft executive order that would block states from passing laws regulating artificial intelligence. The draft order, which CNN said it obtained, also requires the U.S. attorney general to create an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state AI laws. The potential order has not been officially announced by the White House yet and any discussion before then would be “speculation,” a White House official told CNN.
While there has not been a formal announcement of a draft order, Trump promoted the approach to AI in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
“Investment in AI is helping to make the U.S. Economy the “HOTTEST” in the World — But overregulation by the States is threatening to undermine this Growth Engine. Some States are even trying to embed DEI ideology into AI models, producing “Woke AI” (Remember Black George Washington?),” Trump said in a social media post. “We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes. We can do this in a way that protects children AND prevents censorship!”
Finegold said it is “no surprise” that opposition against deregulating AI is bipartisan.
“When AI has negative impacts, state governments must step up,” he said, referencing a sweeping economic development law passed last session that includes protections for Massachusetts ticket buyers from AI bots that were known to drive up prices.
He also cautioned against approaching AI the same way lawmakers treated social media, referring to a federal law that offers immunity for online platforms from liability for content shared by third parties.
“Let’s not repeat those mistakes with AI. We can welcome innovation while ensuring fairness and accountability,” the Andover Democrat said. “As tech ethicist Tristan Harris warned, ‘We didn’t regulate social media early enough, and now we’re living with the consequences. AI is moving even faster—if we don’t learn from history, we’ll repeat it.’”
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey also criticized the proposal.
“Big Tech bet big on Trump. Now, they’re getting a return on their investment. Trump’s AI order would create a golden age for Big Tech Billionaires and a dark age for kids, workers, and our planet. We must stop it,” Markey said in an X post.
