Trump signs executive orders on AI exports and data centers
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Trump signs executive orders to fast-track data center construction, target ‘woke’ AI
President Trump signed a trio of executive orders related to artificial intelligence on Wednesday. The orders seek to fast-track permitting for data centers, promote the export of the American technology stack abroad and bar “woke” AI systems from federal contracting. Trump: “Under this administration, our innovation will be unmatched, and our capabilities will be unrivaled.” The orders accompany the Trump administration’s “AI Action Plan” released earlier Wednesday.“My administration will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the United States can build and retain the largest, most powerful and most advanced AI infrastructure anywhere on the planet,” Trump said.
The three executive orders seek to fast-track permitting for data centers, promote the export of the American technology stack abroad and bar “woke” AI systems from federal contracting.
“Under this administration, our innovation will be unmatched, and our capabilities will be unrivaled,” Trump said at an AI summit hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum and the “All-In” podcast, where he signed the orders Wednesday evening.
“With the help of many of the people in this room, America’s ultimate triumph will be absolutely unstoppable,” he continued. “We will be unstoppable as a nation. Again, we’re way ahead, and we want to stay that way.”
The orders accompany the Trump administration’s “AI Action Plan” released earlier Wednesday, which lays out a three-pronged approach to “winning the race” on AI.
In the framework, the administration called to cut federal and state AI regulations in an effort to boost innovation, pushed to expedite the build-out of AI infrastructure and sought to encourage the adoption of American technology abroad.
Each of Trump’s executive orders seeks to target at least some of the policy goals detailed in his AI action plan.
The data center order calls on the Council on Environmental Quality to establish new categorical exclusions for certain data center projects that “normally do not have a significant effect on the human environment.” It also seeks to identify projects that qualify for expedited permitting review.
“My administration will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the United States can build and retain the largest, most powerful and most advanced AI infrastructure anywhere on the planet,” Trump said Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, his AI export order calls for the creation of an American AI Exports Program that will develop full-stack AI export packages, featuring U.S. chips, AI models and applications.
Trump contrasted his approach with that of former President Biden, who released the AI diffusion rule at the tail end of his presidency, placing caps on chip sales to most countries around the world. The rule faced pushback from the semiconductor industry and was repealed by the Trump administration in May.
The third order targeting “woke” AI seeks to limit agencies from signing contracts for AI models unless they are considered “truth seeking” and maintain “ideological neutrality,” which it defines as those that “do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas such as DEI.”
Trump’s AI action plan: US president signs executive orders; seeks to make America leader in artificial intelligence race
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed three sweeping executive orders aimed at reshaping America’s artificial intelligence landscape. The orders include, acrackdown on so-called “woke” AI, streamlining federal permits for datacentre infrastructure and directive to boost American AI exports. The actions were unveiled alongside a 24-page “AI Action Plan”, titled Winning the Race, which outlines the administration’s roadmap for accelerating AI adoption across federal agencies and cementing US leadership in the field. Trump also suggested rebranding the very name of the technology, “I don’t even like the name, you know? So could we straighten that out, please? We should change the name. I actually mean that,” he said at an AI summit in D.C. The White House described the orders as part of a broader campaign against diversity initiatives.
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The orders are part of Trump’s broader campaign against diversity initiatives and come as he pledges to make the US an “AI export powerhouse”.
Speaking at an AI summit in Washington, he said that the world is now, whether we like it or not, in a rapid race to develop and shape a revolutionary technology, one that will play a defining role in the future of civilisation, thanks to the brilliance and creativity coming out of Silicon Valley.
“America is the country that started the AI race and as president of the United States, I am here today to declare that America is going to win it.”
“We are going to work hard. We are going to win it,” Trump said.
He added that the US will not allow any other nation to beat it and “children will now live on a planet controlled by the algorithms.”
The executive orders include, acrackdown on so-called “woke” AI, streamlining federal permits for datacentre infrastructure and directive to boost American AI exports.
These actions were unveiled alongside a 24-page “AI Action Plan”, titled Winning the Race, which outlines the administration’s roadmap for accelerating AI adoption across federal agencies and cementing US leadership in the field.
The document replaces a previous Biden-era executive order that had introduced regulatory standards and safeguards for AI, as per The Guardian.
“Winning this competition will be a test of our capacities unlike anything since the dawn of the space age,” Trump said, urging American tech companies to “put America first”.
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However, what counts as political bias in AI is still unclear and debated, which has raised concerns that the government might use these new powers to unfairly go after certain companies.
The Trump also suggested rebranding the very name of the technology. “I don’t even like the name, you know? I don’t like anything that’s artificial. So could we straighten that out, please? We should change the name. I actually mean that,” he said.
“It’s not artificial. It’s genius.”
At the summit, he declared, “The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models, and neither do other countries.”
A second executive order focuses on deregulating AI development and accelerating the construction of datacentres, often massive, resource-intensive facilities that power AI models. This includes rolling back environmental protections that might obstruct such projects, The Guardian reported.
While datacentres are essential for hosting AI infrastructure, they consume vast amounts of energy and water and are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental groups have raised alarms over rising air and noise pollution, and some communities have resisted the expansion of these facilities in their neighbourhoods.
Despite this, Trump’s order supports long-standing demands from tech firms to ease permitting laws and ramp up energy infrastructure.
It also frames AI development as a matter of geopolitical urgency, pointing to China’s heavy investments in AI chips and datacentres. Companies like Deepseek have emerged as formidable challengers to Silicon Valley’s dominance.
The administration’s offensive against “woke” AI reflects deeper ideological tensions. Conservatives have increasingly shifted their criticism from social media moderation to generative AI tools, accusing them of suppressing right-wing viewpoints.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also lauded the order, citing the advantage of having Donald Trump as the president.
“America’s unique advantage that no other country can possibly have is President Trump,” television host Ed Ludlow quoted Huang. The tweet was later shared by the US president.
Trump Signs 3 AI-Related Executive Orders at AI Summit
President Donald Trump signed three executive orders related to artificial intelligence. The first, Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, aims to fast-track the building of data center infrastructure. The second, Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack, is to promote the export of U.S.-made AI models. The third, “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,” aims to make sure that government-adopted AI models “prioritize truthfulness and ideological neutrality,’ per the White House. Trump stressed the importance of the United States winning the artificial intelligence race during the event.
The first order Trump signed, Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, aims to fast-track the building of data center infrastructure, per a White House fact sheet. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is directed “to launch an initiative to provide financial support, such as loans, grants, and tax incentives, for Qualifying Projects.”
Per the White House:
These Qualifying Projects include data centers that require greater than 100 megawatts of new load, infrastructure projects related to data center energy needs, semiconductor facilities, networking equipment, or other data center or related infrastructure projects selected by the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Commerce, or Secretary of Energy.
It also rolls back Biden-era DEI and climate regulations that would bog down data center development on federal lands.
The second order Trump signed, Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack, is to promote the export of U.S.-made AI models, according to White House staff secretary Will Scharf.
“What this next executive order will do is promote through various instrumentalities of the federal government, the export abroad of American AI models to ensure American AI dominance in the future,” Scharf said ahead of Trump signing the order.
Lutnick is directed to create the American AI Exports Program to back “the development and deployment of U.S. full-stack AI export packages,” per a White House fact sheet.
Thirdly, Trump signed an order titled “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government.” The order aims to make sure that government-adopted AI models “prioritize truthfulness and ideological neutrality,” and not force ideologies like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) on Americans, per the White House:
The Order directs agency heads to procure only large language models (LLMs) that adhere to “Unbiased AI Principles” defined in the Order: truth-seeking and ideological neutrality. Truth-seeking means that LLMS shall be truthful and prioritize historical accuracy, scientific inquiry, and objectivity, and acknowledge uncertainty where reliable information is incomplete or contradictory. Ideological neutrality means that LLMs shall be neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas like DEI, and that developers will not intentionally encode partisan or ideological judgments into an LLM’s outputs unless those judgments are prompted by or readily accessible to the end user.
Trump stressed the importance of the United States winning the artificial intelligence race during the event.
“Whether we like it or not, we’re certainly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and to define this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization itself,” he said.
“Because of the genius and creativity of Silicon Valley … America is the country that started the AI race. And as President of the United States. I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it,” Trump vowed.
Trump Weighs Nvidia Breakup, Signs AI Executive Orders to Boost U.S. Tech Leadership
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that he had considered breaking up NVIDIA Corporation to enhance competition in the artificial intelligence sector. Speaking at a White House AI summit, Trump praised Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, emphasizing the company’s crucial role in AI innovation. The president outlined a sweeping 90-point plan to create a federal regulatory framework for AI.
The president outlined a sweeping 90-point plan to create a federal regulatory framework for AI, signaling a departure from former President Joe Biden’s restrictive approach. Key elements include loosening environmental rules, encouraging AI exports to allied nations, and establishing uniform federal oversight to override state-level regulations. Trump stressed that the United States must lead globally in AI and dismissed concerns about copyright infringement in AI training, which remains a major legal battle involving companies like OpenAI.
As part of the summit, Trump signed three executive orders to accelerate AI industry growth. These measures include allowing federally owned land to be used for AI data centers, promoting the export of U.S. AI hardware and software, and prohibiting the federal government from using AI systems deemed politically biased. Trump criticized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, calling them an “existential threat” to reliable AI.
The initiatives aim to strengthen U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence amid rising competition from China and other global players. The policy shift is expected to boost Nvidia’s market influence while spurring broader AI development and international cooperation in the rapidly expanding tech sector.
Trump administration to supercharge AI sales to allies, loosen environmental rules
President Donald Trump marked the plan’s release with a speech where he laid out the stakes of the technological arms race with China. The plan calls for the export of U.S. AI software and hardware abroad as well as a crackdown on state laws deemed too restrictive to let it flourish. It is a marked departure from predecessor Joe Biden’s “high fence” approach that limited global access to coveted AI chips. Trump signed three executive orders on Wednesday that incorporated elements of the action plan, including the loosening of environmental rules, establishing rules for chip exports and seeking to limit political bias in AI technology.”Our edge (in AI) is not something that we can sort of rest on our laurels,” Vice President JD Vance said in a separate appearance at the event, which was organized by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and his co-hosts on the ‘All-In’ podcast to highlight efforts to develop the technology in the United States. The administration will establish new exclusions for the construction of data centers under the National Environmental Policy Act and streamline permits under the Clean Water Act.
Companies Trump gives speech after administration releases new AI blueprint
Administration moves to ease environmental rules for industry
White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks joins co-hosts on the ‘All-In’ podcast to highlight efforts
July 23 (Reuters) – The Trump administration released a new artificial intelligence blueprint on Wednesday that aims to loosen environmental rules and vastly expand AI exports to allies, in a bid to maintain the American edge over China in the critical technology.
President Donald Trump marked the plan’s release with a speech where he laid out the stakes of the technological arms race with China, calling it a fight that will define the 21st century.
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“America is the country that started the AI race. And as President of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is going to win it,” Trump said.
The plan, which includes some 90 recommendations, calls for the export of U.S. AI software and hardware abroad as well as a crackdown on state laws deemed too restrictive to let it flourish, a marked departure from predecessor Joe Biden’s “high fence” approach that limited global access to coveted AI chips.
“We also have to have a single federal standard, not 50 different states regulating this industry in the future,” Trump said.
Michael Kratsios, head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters on Wednesday the departments of Commerce and State will partner with the industry to “deliver secure full-stack AI export packages, including hardware models, software applications and standards to America’s friends and allies around the world.”
Trump signed three executive orders on Wednesday that incorporated elements of the action plan, including the loosening of environmental rules, establishing rules for chip exports and seeking to limit political bias in AI technology.
Biden feared U.S. adversaries like China could harness AI chips produced by companies like Nvidia and AMD to supercharge its military and harm allies. The former president, who left office in January, imposed a raft of restrictions on U.S. exports of AI chips to China and other countries that it feared could divert the semiconductors to America’s top global rival.
Trump rescinded Biden’s executive order aimed at promoting competition, protecting consumers and ensuring AI was not used for misinformation. He also rescinded Biden’s so-called AI diffusion rule , which capped the amount of American AI computing capacity some countries were allowed to obtain via U.S. AI chip imports.
Item 1 of 3 U.S. President Donald Trump holds an executive order related to AI after signing it during the “Winning the AI Race” Summit in Washington D.C., U.S., July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura [1/3] U.S. President Donald Trump holds an executive order related to AI after signing it during the “Winning the AI Race” Summit in Washington D.C., U.S., July 23, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
“Our edge (in AI) is not something that we can sort of rest on our laurels,” Vice President JD Vance said in a separate appearance at the event, which was organized by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and his co-hosts on the “All-In” podcast.
“If we’re regulating ourselves to death and allowing the Chinese to catch up to us, that’s not something … we should blame the Chinese for…, that is something we should blame our own leaders for, for having stupid policies that allow other countries to catch up with America,” Vance said.
The AI plan, according to a senior administration official, does not address national security concerns around Nvidia’s H20 chip, which powers AI models and was designed to walk right up to the line of prior restrictions on Chinese AI chip access.
Trump blocked the export of the H20 to China in April but allowed the company to resume sales earlier this month, sparking rare public criticism from fellow Republicans.
FAST-TRACKING DATA CENTERS
The plan also calls for fast-tracking the construction of data centers by loosening environmental regulations and utilizing federal land to expedite development of the projects, including any power supplies.
The administration will seek to establish new exclusions for data centers under the National Environmental Policy Act and streamline permits under the Clean Water Act.
Trump directed his administration in January to develop the plan.
Trump is expected to take additional actions in the upcoming weeks that will help Big Tech secure the vast amounts of electricity it needs to power the energy-guzzling data centers needed for the rapid expansion of AI, Reuters previously reported.
U.S. power demand is hitting record highs this year after nearly two decades of stagnation as AI and cloud computing data centers balloon in number and size across the country.
The export expansion plans take a page from deals unveiled in May that gave the United Arab Emirates expanded access to advanced artificial intelligence chips from the United States after previously facing restrictions over Washington’s concerns that China could access the technology.
Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Alexandra Alper; Additional reporting by Krystal Hu in New York; Editing by Chris Sanders, Jamie Freed, Mark Porter and Diane Craft
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