Donald Trump Signs Order Calling for AI ‘Free From Ideological Bias’: How This May Impact AI Safety

• Donald Trump has ordered his administration to track down and review all AI directives and actions put in place by the Biden administration.
• This follows Trump revoking Biden’s sweeping AI regulation just hours after being sworn into the White House.
• By reversing Biden’s AI policies, some experts are concerned a lack of guardrails will negatively impact AI safety.

President Donald Trump has wasted no time getting to work on overhauling the Biden Administration’s work on artificial intelligence safety.

Since his inauguration on Monday, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders, living up to his promise to remove many of the guardrails currently placed on AI in the U.S.

The President claims revoking these hurdles will ensure America prioritizes innovation, but some experts fear it could impact the safety of AI development.

Donald Trump Calls for ‘Bias-Free’ AI

On Jan. 23, President Trump signed an executive order calling for AI development without “ideological bias.”

The new order calls for the deployment of an in-depth AI action plan within 180 days, stating that “we must develop AI systems that are free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas.”

Trump said he would reverse the previous government’s policies that “act as barriers to American AI innovation.”

According to the order, the Trump Administration will track down and review all previous AI actions and directives made by the Biden administration. If any AI policies are found to be hindering innovation, they should be reviewed and revoked.

The executive order said AI should “promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.”

A Removal of Biden’s AI Guardrails

During Biden’s presidency, he issued numerous directives aimed at promoting safety in the rapid development of AI.

A key highlight of Biden’s directives was the 2023 Executive Order on AI, which required developers of AI systems deemed high-risk—such as those with implications for national security—to conduct rigorous safety assessments.

These assessments then had to be shared with the U.S. government before deployment.

The goal was to prevent potential harm from unchecked AI advancements, particularly in areas like misinformation and surveillance.

Trump revoked these orders just hours into being sworn in as President on Monday, living up to his promises during his campaign trail.

“We will repeal Joe Biden’s dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology,” Trump’s manifesto read.

“In its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing,” it added.

Upon revoking the guardrails, the Trump administration said they had “established unnecessarily burdensome requirements for companies developing and deploying AI that would stifle private sector innovation and threaten American technological leadership.”

How Could This Impact AI Safety?

Trump’s new light-touch approach to AI marks a significant turn for the U.S. and an unprecedented move globally.

Two years ago, Tesla boss Elon Musk, the President’s newest biggest ally, called for a 6-month pause in AI development.

Teaming up with computer scientists and other tech leaders, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Musk signed a petition calling for a break to assess AI’s risks.

Biden’s regulations, which came around the same time as Musk’s petition, were designed to mitigate potential harms by ensuring thorough evaluation and oversight of AI technologies.

Now, by reversing AI directives, Trump’s order has removed key precautionary measures on AI development.

While the decrease in regulatory hurdles is likely to accelerate the development of AI systems, it could come at the cost of cautious oversight.