We've seen this movie before. A sweeping policy document drops with grand proclamations about American leadership, peppered with buzzwords like "dominance" and "revolution," only to dissolve into bureaucratic quicksand when reality hits. Trump's AI Action Plan reads like every campaign promise ever made—big on vision, light on specifics, and suspiciously silent about the boring details that separate actual policy from political theater.
The president stood before tech titans Wednesday, signed some executive orders, and declared America would achieve "global dominance" in artificial intelligence through 90+ federal policy actions. But strip away the rhetoric, and you'll find a plan that promises everything while explaining almost nothing about how it will actually happen. We're skeptical, and you should be too.
Let's catalog what Trump's team is actually promising, because the ambition is breathtaking in its scope:
The "Anti-Woke AI" Crusade: Federal agencies can only buy AI that's "objective and free from top-down ideological bias"—whatever that means. The plan singles out DEI as "ideological dogma" while demanding models prioritize "historical accuracy" and "objectivity." Good luck defining those terms in a way that survives both legal challenges and practical implementation.
Infrastructure Lightning Speed: The plan promises to fast-track permitting for data centers and power plants, with Trump declaring "every company will be given the right to build their own power plant." This ignores the fact that the tech industry has pushed for easier permitting rules to get its computing facilities connected to power, but the AI building boom has also contributed to spiking demand for fossil fuel production, creating environmental regulatory battles that won't disappear with executive orders.
State Supremacy Override: Trump took aim at state laws regulating AI. His plan could limit some funding from the federal government for states that pass AI laws deemed "burdensome" to developing the technology. He wants "a single federal standard, not 50 different states regulating this industry," but the Senate already killed a 10-year moratorium on state AI laws, suggesting Congress isn't buying this approach.
Export Empire Building: The Commerce and State Departments will supposedly deliver "secure, full-stack AI export packages" to allies worldwide, turning America into an "AI export powerhouse." This sounds impressive until you remember that export controls are complex, multilateral agreements that can't be wished into existence.
Here's where the wheels fall off. Michael Kratsios, policy director of the OSTP, claims all policies outlined in the action plan can be executed in the next six months to a year. That's either remarkable optimism or strategic ignorance about how government actually works.
The AI Bias Police Problem: How exactly do you measure "ideological neutrality" in AI? The plan calls for the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance on assessing "unbiased AI," but offers no methodology. Previous attempts to define AI bias have consumed years of academic research and still lack consensus. Now Trump wants bureaucrats to solve this in months while implementing procurement rules across the entire federal government.
The Permitting Fantasy: Fast-tracking data center permits sounds great until you encounter the Environmental Protection Agency, state utility commissions, local zoning boards, and environmental groups with lawyers. A broad range of stakeholders, including AI companies, investors, venture capitalists, safety institutes, and allied governments seek clarity and stability, but what they're getting is promises to cut through regulatory processes that exist for actual reasons.
The State Coercion Conundrum: Threatening to withhold federal funding from states with "burdensome" AI regulations creates a constitutional mess. States have police powers to regulate business within their borders, and federal coercion doctrine has limits. California isn't going to abandon its AI safety requirements because Trump waves federal dollars around.
The Export Control Puzzle: Building an AI export empire requires coordination with allies who have their own AI strategies and security concerns. The plan mentions partnering with allies but doesn't address how to reconcile competing national interests or the complexity of dual-use technology controls.
The Atlantic Council asks the right question: "In an era of budget and staff cuts across the federal government, will there be enough government expertise and funding to realize much of the ambition of this plan?" The plan identifies 90+ actions but provides no cost estimates, staffing requirements, or budget allocations.
Federal agencies are already stretched thin, and Trump's broader government efficiency push suggests staff reductions, not expansions. How do you simultaneously cut federal bureaucracy and implement 90 new AI policy initiatives? The math doesn't work.
While Trump's team theatrically signs executive orders, smart marketers should focus on developments with actual substance:
Monitor State-Level Innovation: Despite Trump's federal supremacy rhetoric, states like California continue advancing practical AI governance. These efforts will outlast any federal administration and often drive real industry standards.
Track Private Investment Patterns: The Stargate announcement and similar private investments tell us more about AI infrastructure reality than government plans. Follow the actual capital flows, not the policy promises.
Watch International Coordination: Real AI leadership requires working with allies on standards and safety frameworks. The State Department office responsible for this was just shuttered in wide-ranging layoffs announced earlier this month, suggesting less international coordination, not more.
Focus on Technical Implementation: AI bias detection, safety evaluation, and governance require technical expertise that can't be created through executive orders. The companies actually solving these problems will matter more than the politicians promising to solve them.
We want American AI leadership as much as anyone. But leadership comes from execution, not proclamation. Trump's plan reads like a greatest hits compilation of tech industry wish lists rather than a serious implementation strategy. The gap between "what" and "how" is so vast you could drive a Tesla through it.
Show us agencies with the expertise to evaluate AI bias. Show us permitting processes that actually accelerate without sacrificing safety. Show us international agreements that advance American interests while respecting allied concerns. Show us budget allocations that match the ambition level.
Until then, this is just another example of Washington promising to move mountains while lacking the shovels to move dirt. The AI revolution will continue with or without Trump's action plan—probably with better results when driven by market forces rather than political theater.
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