President Donald Trump has released a policy framework to guide federal regulation of artificial intelligence and create a single regulatory standard, but Texas lawmakers have concerns about the technology’s expansion.
Trump’s framework stems from an executive order issued last year overriding state AI laws and promising the creation of a single national standard to ensure AI companies do not have to worry about complying with “a patchwork of conflicting state laws.”
“The Trump Administration is committed to winning the AI race to usher in a new era of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people,” reads the framework. “Achieving these goals requires a commonsense national policy framework that both enables American industry to innovate and thrive and ensures that all Americans benefit from this technological revolution.”
The framework includes six key objectives:
- empowering parents to protect their children
- ensuring American communities are safeguarded
- respecting intellectual property rights
- protecting free speech
- ensuring U.S. dominance in AI
- developing an AI-ready workforce
Also highlighted in the president’s proposed framework is not only the intention to “preempt state AI laws that impose undue burdens,” but also to disallow states from regulating AI “because it is an inherently interstate phenomenon with key foreign policy and national security implications.”
Although states would be prohibited from regulating areas “best suited for the federal government,” they would retain traditional police powers to enforce general laws, determine zoning laws for AI infrastructure, and govern their own use of AI.
Texas lawmakers passed several measures last session covering AI.
Before the release of the framework, Texas lawmakers met with Trump administration officials to discuss AI policy and the push for more AI data centers in Texas.
Among those in attendance were State Rep. Wes Virdell (R–Brady) and State Rep. Shelley Luther (R–Sherman).
Luther shared on social media that lawmakers told Trump administration officials that although AI is essential for the future it “cannot come at the expense of rural communities” by draining water and power supplies.
Virdell shared that “the federal government says we are in a race with China to have the most Al data centers and they believe Texas is the best place to put them.”
Alongside other lawmakers, Virdell said they pointed out that Texas does not have the resources to support the centers and that they are being built next to residential areas.
“I left with the impression that our concerns fell on deaf ears. It looks like it is up to us (the people) to fight against data center expansion in Texas,” wrote Virdell.
The entire Trump framework can be read here.
