Trump abruptly halts signing AI order citing concerns with overregulating

President Donald Trump abruptly halted plans to sign an executive order on artificial intelligence just hours before a scheduled Oval Office ceremony. The move came after he expressed concerns about overregulation, stating that certain aspects of the draft order could impede U.S. leadership in AI innovation. Trump emphasized that the U.S. is 'leading China' and 'everybody' in AI, arguing that any new regulations should not disrupt this advantage. The draft order, prepared by White House officials, proposed a voluntary framework for federal reviews of AI models before public release. Companies opting into the program would have been required to submit their models 90 days prior to launch, along with pre-release access for critical infrastructure providers like banks. Despite assurances that the framework would not create mandatory licensing requirements, Trump questioned whether even voluntary measures could slow innovation. The cancellation followed a morning briefing where White House officials previewed the draft order, which aimed to balance tech industry opposition to mandatory regulations with calls from MAGA activists for stricter government oversight. Some AI firms, including OpenAI and Anthropic, already voluntarily submit their models for safety evaluations through the U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation. The draft also included provisions to expand AI use in national security, critical infrastructure, and state/local government systems. However, Trump’s decision to pause the order reflects ongoing tensions between fostering AI growth and implementing safeguards. The White House had previously signaled a more hands-off approach compared to former President Joe Biden’s administration, which had pushed for stricter AI regulations.