Trump Pulls Back on AI Executive Order at the Last Minute
President Donald Trump abruptly postponed a scheduled signing ceremony for a major AI executive order Thursday, CNBC reported, saying he had personal reservations about the draft’s contents.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the delay came down to his own dissatisfaction. The order had been due for signature later that same afternoon.
Trump Cites Fear of Slowing US AI Dominance
Trump framed his hesitation in competitive terms. He argued the United States currently leads both China and the broader world in artificial intelligence development. Any policy that might threaten that advantage was, in his view, unacceptable.
He described AI as a force producing enormous benefits across the economy. His specific concern was that the draft order “could have been a blocker,” as CNBC reported him telling journalists directly.
The New York Times, citing people with knowledge of the document, reported that the order was designed to let the federal government pre-screen AI models for security vulnerabilities before public deployment. That kind of pre-evaluation framework appears to be among the provisions Trump found objectionable.
Background: The Administration’s Shifting AI Stance
The White House has not followed a straight line on AI oversight. On one hand, the Trump administration has broadly championed the industry. It has backed major technology companies in their push to stop individual US states from passing their own AI regulations, preferring a unified federal approach.
On the other hand, the administration has taken steps toward structured oversight. Earlier this month, the federal Center for AI Standards and Innovation struck evaluation agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and Elon Musk‘s xAI. Those deals allow the government to assess AI systems ahead of public release, a model not entirely unlike the order Trump just delayed.
Heavy investment by large technology firms has continued to lift equity markets, even as geopolitical tensions from the ongoing Iran conflict and other flashpoints weigh on the broader global economy.
What Comes Next for the Order
The White House declined to offer CNBC a substantive statement on the postponement, pointing instead to Trump’s own Oval Office remarks. No revised timeline for the signing has been announced.
The delay leaves the administration’s formal AI regulatory posture in limbo. Industry groups and AI developers will be watching closely for signs of whether the order is revised, shelved, or signed in a significantly altered form.
The postponement was first flagged Thursday morning by Axios.
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