'No woke Marxist lunacy': Trump launches 90-point 'AI Action plan,' signs executive order barring government use of 'woke' AI models

Trump doubles down on anti-woke stance

One of the key executive orders, according to White House staff secretary Will Scharf, will block government use of AI models that promote “wokeism” or “critical race theory”. Trump himself criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, claiming he had made “toxic diversity, equity and inclusion ideology” central to US AI development. “The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models,” Trump said during his keynote speech.

Copyright payments for AI training ruled out

Trump also addressed a growing legal debate around copyright, dismissing the idea that tech firms should be made to pay authors or publishers for using their content to train AI models. “You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for,” he said. “We appreciate that, but just can’t do it, because it’s not doable.”

His comments come just days after US senators introduced a bill aiming to restrict AI training on copyrighted material without permission, an approach the Trump administration clearly opposes.

AI Action Plan sets out 90 proposals

Alongside his executive orders, Trump unveiled a 28-page “AI Action Plan” that includes more than 90 policy recommendations. The document argues that AI is “too important to smother in bureaucracy” and calls for reduced regulations, particularly those left over from Biden’s term.

It suggests reviewing Federal Trade Commission investigations, discouraging strict state-level laws, and potentially cutting funding to states that create what Trump officials view as overly restrictive AI legislation. “We need to have a single federal standard, not 50 states,” Trump said.

‘America is going to win the AI race’

Trump repeatedly framed AI as a global competition, especially against China, and made it clear he sees American leadership in the field as a matter of national importance. “America is going to win the AI race. From this day forward it’ll be a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence,” he declared.

Trump compares AI to a ‘beautiful baby’

Trump also took a moment to express his dislike for the term “artificial intelligence”, saying he didn’t like “anything artificial”. “AI is a beautiful baby that’s born. We have to grow that baby and let that baby thrive. We can’t stop it with politics or foolish rules,” he said.

The announcement comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to position the US as the global leader in emerging technologies. Earlier this month, Trump revealed a $90 billion investment initiative to turn Pennsylvania into an AI hub. He has also launched a $500 billion infrastructure project known as Stargate, involving figures like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, and Oracle’s Larry Ellison.

Trump concluded, “America is the country that started the AI race. And as president of the United States, I’m here today to declare that America is goingtowinit.”