Why Trump's AI executive order was pulled

An AI and cybersecurity executive order signing was delayed after opposition to regulation. Trump, AI adviser David Sacks, and industry figures discussed the order before the signing. Trump said he postponed it because he did not want anything to get in the way of leading China and other countries. Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sacks spoke with Trump between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Supporters of AI regulation in Washington were relieved that the White House planned to act, but timing and whether action will occur remain unclear. The situation reflects a balance between enabling American AI companies and managing public anti-AI sentiment, including within Trump’s party. Questions also arose about why the Treasury Department had a leading role in coordinating security vulnerabilities instead of agencies like CISA and NIST.

"The main reason why the executive order signing was delayed was because "he just hates regulation," one source familiar said of Trump, adding that Sacks also "hated it." "The whole thing was unnecessary" and "just something doomers wanted," the source added. Zuckerberg, xAI CEO Elon Musk and Sacks all spoke with Trump between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment."

""I didn't like certain aspects of it. I postponed it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. "I think it gets in the way of - you know, we're leading China, we're leading everybody, and I didn't want to do anything to get in the way of that lead." Those who have been pushing for AI regulation in Washington were relieved that the White House was finally going to make moves on AI and cybersecurity safety. Now it's not clear when - or whether - that is going to happen."

"Trump has been walking a tightrope of allowing American AI companies to flourish without strict rules while weighing growing public anti-AI sentiment, including within his own party. For now, the accelerationists have won out. One government official told Axios: "It could be CEOs, or egos in general. Everyone hates each other in the political tech space." One tech industry source told Axios there were also questions about why the Treasury Department received such a leading role in the coordinating security vulnerabilities in the postponed AI executive order as it was written."

Read at Axios