AI Under the Spotlight: Key Insights Ahead of the White House Action Plan
July marks a critical moment as the White House prepares to release its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan. This follows Executive Order 14179, issued on January 23, 2025, which tasked federal officials with crafting a strategy to sustain and enhance America’s leadership in AI. The plan is set to be unveiled by July 23, alongside a presidential address outlining the vision for AI’s future in the United States.
Recent moves, such as a $90 billion investment in energy and data centers in Pennsylvania and an anticipated executive order to implement the Action Plan, highlight the administration’s commitment to advancing AI policy aggressively.
Maintaining American Leadership
President Trump’s AI strategy dates back to February 2019 with Executive Order 13859, which set six core objectives focused on boosting investment, improving data access, reducing AI adoption barriers, and ensuring security and trust in AI systems. These objectives emphasize collaboration across industry, academia, and international partners, alongside workforce development and standard-setting.
The more recent Executive Order 14179 builds on this foundation, aiming for global AI dominance to support economic competitiveness, national security, and human flourishing. It requires the submission of an AI Action Plan by July 22, 2025, developed by key White House advisors and agency heads.
To inform this plan, the White House solicited public feedback earlier this year, receiving over 10,000 comments from diverse sectors. This volume of input underscores the national importance of AI policy and its broad impact.
Removing Barriers to AI Innovation
A key focus of the current administration is dismantling what it views as restrictive policies from previous leadership. Executive Order 14148, issued in January 2025, revoked President Biden’s October 2023 AI executive order. However, some regulatory actions stemming from the prior administration, like the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability Rule (HTI-1 Rule), remain in effect until formally altered through regulatory processes.
In parallel, substantial private investments are underway. For example, Stargate, a newly formed company backed by the president and tech leaders, aims to invest nearly $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure. Federal agencies have also issued new guidelines on AI use and procurement, reinforcing the government's role as a major AI adopter.
The Legislative Environment
The federal and state legislative landscape remains dynamic. A proposed 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations, featured in the House Reconciliation Bill (H.R.1), was recently removed by a near-unanimous Senate vote. While this provision failed for now, observers expect similar measures may resurface in upcoming legislation.
H.R.1, in its final form, allocates funds for applying AI to defense, energy, and rural healthcare solutions, signaling ongoing federal support for AI integration in critical sectors.
State-Level AI Regulations
States continue to enact targeted AI laws, particularly in healthcare, workplace, and privacy areas. Notable recent and upcoming legislation includes:
- Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Act (TRAIGA): Effective January 1, 2026, it prohibits child exploitation related to deepfakes, restricts certain government biometric data uses, bans unlawful discrimination, and forbids social scoring by government AI systems.
- Utah HB 452: Effective May 7, 2025, it restricts mental health chatbot providers from sharing user data and advertising products.
- Colorado’s comprehensive AI law: Effective February 1, 2026, it survived amendment attempts and sets a precedent for AI regulation.
- Illinois Ins-Adverse Determination Act: Effective January 1, 2025, it mandates transparency in prior authorization processes involving AI.
- California Physicians Make Decisions Act: Effective January 1, 2025, it requires human oversight of AI-driven utilization decisions.
- California Employment Regulations on Automated Decision Systems: Effective October 1, 2025, it governs AI use in employment decisions.
- Maryland HB 820: Effective October 1, 2025, it requires AI tools to base decisions on individual clinical data rather than group datasets alone.
- Oregon HB 2748: Effective January 1, 2026, it prohibits AI entities from misrepresenting themselves as registered nurses or other licensed professionals.
For executives and strategy leaders, these developments highlight the importance of staying informed on evolving AI policies at multiple levels of government. Strategic planning should account for compliance with new regulations while leveraging federal initiatives and investments to maintain competitive advantage.
Those seeking a structured approach to AI skills and knowledge can explore specialized training options to better align with policy shifts and technological trends. Resources like Complete AI Training’s latest courses offer practical guidance tailored for professionals navigating AI’s expanding role in business.
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