This article compares and contrasts the Executive Orders on AI passed by Former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. It also offers commentary on the AI stance of both administrations.
Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) published an article on the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle Artificial Intelligence (AI) protections. The following will offer further commentary on their findings, as well as compare and contrast Executive Orders on AI that both Presidents signed into law.
As the ACLU found, the Trump administration has sought to roll back the majority of Biden-era AI protections. One of President Trump’s first actions in office was repealing the Biden-backed Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (Biden EO). Signed into law on October 30, 2023, the Biden EO aimed to balance AI development with safeguards against potential risks, including fraud, discrimination, bias, disinformation, worker displacement, reduced market competition, and national security threats.
In simple terms, the Biden EO acknowledged that AI can cause real-world harm. As the ACLU noted, these harms arise when companies and government agencies use AI tools to make critical decisions on employment, lending, criminal justice, and other sensitive areas. An excellent article on the subject can be found here.
President Biden used his EO to guide his administration’s actions regarding AI. As the ACLU notes, the White House issued a National Security memorandum in 2024 on "the use of AI models and AI-enabled technologies in national security systems and for military or intelligence purposes." This memorandum established strict guidelines for White House national security officials on AI use. Examining the Biden administration’s overall AI stance, it is clear that governance and oversight were central priorities.
In contrast, President Trump has emphasized speed in AI innovation, asserting that it can best be achieved by reducing regulations and oversight. On January 23, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence" (Trump EO). This order replaced the Biden EO, which was rescinded on Trump’s first day in office, January 20, 2025. The Trump EO states its purpose clearly in Section 1: "This order revokes certain existing AI policies and directives that act as barriers to American AI innovation, clearing a path for the United States to act decisively to retain global leadership in artificial intelligence."
While the Biden EO established a structured oversight framework for AI, including safety testing and cybersecurity protocols, the Trump EO views these measures as regulatory obstacles. The Biden EO also mandated interagency cooperation to assess AI-related national security risks. However, the Trump EO prioritizes reducing oversight, including within the federal government. It directed the Office of Management and Budget to overhaul its established directive on federal AI usage, leading to the removal of AI-related guidelines from many federal agency websites, including protections for job seekers and other groups.
Ultimately, the Biden and Trump administrations take fundamentally different approaches to AI policy. The Biden EO sought to balance AI innovation with risk mitigation through structured oversight, ethical safeguards, and global cooperation. The Trump EO, in contrast, prioritizes deregulation, aiming to accelerate AI development by removing perceived barriers. These policy shifts will have significant implications for the future of AI governance in the U.S.
