Recent Updates on Executive Order: Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence

• January 23, 2025: President Trump issued the Executive Order "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence." This order revokes Executive Order 14110, which previously focused on "safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of Artificial Intelligence." The stated goal of the new order is to foster the development of AI systems "free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas."

• January 23, 2025: The Executive Order mandated immediate actions, including directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to revise existing AI guidance memoranda M-24-10 and M-24-18. Furthermore, it initiated a comprehensive review of all policies, directives, regulations, and orders enacted under the revoked Executive Order 14110.

• Late January 2025: News outlets reported the issuance of the Executive Order, highlighting the shift in focus from AI safety and trustworthiness to "American AI dominance." Initial public and expert reactions expressed concerns about the potential deemphasis of ethical considerations in AI development and deployment under the new order. Commentary also pointed out the broad scope of executive authority utilized, raising questions about potential circumvention of standard regulatory processes.

• January 2025 (Specific Date Unknown): The Trump administration issued a request for input on the development of a national AI 'action plan,' signaling the initial steps toward implementing the directives outlined in the Executive Order.

• Within 60 days of January 23, 2025 (Anticipated by late March 2025): The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is officially directed to complete the revision of Memoranda M-24-10 and M-24-18, reflecting the new policy priorities outlined in the Executive Order.

• Within 180 days of January 23, 2025 (Anticipated by late July 2025): The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST), the Special Advisor for AI and Crypto, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA) are tasked with developing and submitting a comprehensive action plan to the President. This plan will likely detail the strategic implementation of the Executive Order's objectives.

• Early February 2025: Expert analysis began to emerge, suggesting that the Executive Order's emphasis on "dominance" could prioritize competitive AI development at the expense of international collaboration and potentially lead to deregulation or reduced oversight in critical AI sectors. Concerns were also raised regarding the ambiguous definition of "ideological bias" within the order and the potential for its inconsistent application.