President Trump signed an executive order to establish a single regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. “State-by-State regulation by definition creates a patchwork of 50 different regulatory regimes that makes compliance more challenging, particularly for start-ups,” the executive order read. “My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones. The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order,” the order continued. “That framework should also ensure that children are protected, censorship is prevented, copyrights are respected, and communities are safeguarded. A carefully crafted national framework can ensure that the United States wins the AI race, as we must,” it added. “This is an executive order that orders aspects of your administration to take decisive action to ensure that AI can operate within a single national framework in this country, as opposed to being subject to state level regulation that could potentially cripple the industry,” White House aide Will Scharf said. Watch Trump sign the executive order: BREAKING: Pres. Trump signs executive order blocking state regulations for AI pic.twitter.com/dOlNXiV9m0 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 11, 2025 More from The New York Times: Mr. Trump has increasingly embraced the A.I. industry, signing executive orders to limit regulation, provide access to federal data and make it easier for companies to build infrastructure to power the technology. He has also knocked down barriers to exporting chips that drive A.I., including this week, and publicly praised the companies’ leaders. And he has given Mr. Sacks, who is also a Silicon Valley investor, heavy influence over policy decisions. The order on Thursday, which has sparked broad, bipartisan opposition, is likely to be challenged in court by states and consumer groups on the grounds that only Congress has the authority to override state laws, legal experts said. If Mr. Trump succeeds in neutering state laws, he should instead offer a robust national standard on A.I. regulations, said Wes Hodges, the acting director of the Center for Technology and the Human Person at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation. “Doing so before establishing commensurate national protections is a carve-out for Big Tech,” Mr. Hodges said. New generative A.I. technology that can imitate human writing and voices and create realistic videos and images has taken off. But the technology can be misused to trick consumers, and chatbots have been documented offering harmful advice to minors, among other issues. “President Donald J. Trump acted to keep America LEADING in AI—removing unnecessary red tape, ending inconsistent state regulations, and strengthening America’s national security,” The White House stated. President Donald J. Trump acted to keep America LEADING in AI—removing unnecessary red tape, ending inconsistent state regulations, and strengthening America’s national security. pic.twitter.com/qTIfR94jUt — The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 12, 2025 CNN explained further: Congress killed an earlier attempt by Republicans to prevent states from regulating AI in July. The US Senate voted nearly unanimously to remove a 10-year moratorium on the enforcement of state artificial intelligence regulations from Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill before the bill passed. Lawmakers also declined to add an AI moratorium to the National Defense Authorization Act, despite Trump’s suggestion that they do so. Leaders in Silicon Valley, such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have argued that navigating a patchwork of state regulations could slow down innovation and affect America’s competitiveness in the global AI race with China, which they say will have implications for the economy and national security. Critics worry the deregulation push could allow AI companies to evade accountability should their tools harm consumers. Artificial intelligence is already subject to little overall oversight as it extends into more areas of American life — from personal communications and relationships to health care and policing. In the absence of broad federal legislation, some states have passed laws to address potentially risky and harmful uses of AI, such as the creation of misleading deepfakes and discrimination in hiring. Read the full executive order HERE.