How Trump’s AI plan to override state laws could undercut key safeguards

The Trump administration on Friday outlined to Congress how it wants lawmakers to regulate AI. It is urging Congress to preempt states from passing their own AI laws, while offering guidance on how a broader federal framework could address state-level concerns without overburdening the industry. Writing on X, White House “AI czar” David Sacks said the administration is responding to what it sees as a fragmented landscape of state-level rules, warning that a “patchwork” of regulations could slow innovation and undermine U.S. competitiveness in AI. But getting Congress to agree on sweeping AI legislation in an election year is a tall order, particularly as the industry’s massive data center buildout has become a flashpoint for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. In December, President Trump signed an Executive Order tasking us with the development of a national framework for AI, what he called “One Rulebook.” This was in response to a growing patchwork of 50 different state regulatory