Trump Repeals Biden’s AI Oversight

President Trump wasted no time in making waves, repealing Biden’s 2023 AI oversight order on his first day back in office. This order had been a cornerstone of the previous administration’s efforts to regulate artificial intelligence, requiring developers to perform safety tests on high-risk AI systems and share their results with the government. It also aimed to address model biases, cybersecurity threats, and national security risks, setting a framework for responsible AI development.

By revoking these rules, Trump has prioritized innovation, framing deregulation as a way to strengthen America’s position in the AI race against China. While the move gives tech companies greater freedom to experiment and deploy AI, it removes critical safeguards designed to protect against ethical lapses and misuse. The global AI race is now more heated than ever, and Trump’s decision could have far-reaching implications for security, governance, and the very nature of AI systems being developed.

— President Trump’s repeal of Biden’s AI oversight order highlights a bold, unregulated approach to artificial intelligence, aimed at securing America’s dominance in the global AI race.

But it’s hard to ignore the stark reality: meaningful collaboration between the US and China seems increasingly unlikely, particularly under Trump’s administration. This rivalry may bring innovation but also risks creating an unstable and fragmented technological future.

The tension between the US and China has long gone beyond economic competition. Both nations view AI as a strategic asset, critical to national security and global influence. Trump’s move to deregulate AI aligns with his administration’s focus on outpacing China, but it further deepens the divide. The geopolitical rivalry is now so entrenched that cooperation on AI—especially on ethics, safety, and training standards—feels more like a distant hope than a realistic goal.

Trump’s bold strategy might fuel short-term gains in innovation by giving American companies more freedom to push the boundaries. But without oversight, the risks of creating biased, unsafe, or misused AI systems grow exponentially. The lack of cooperation also threatens to embed geopolitical divides into the very technology that could connect us, leading to incompatible AI systems designed to outcompete rather than complement each other.

Historically, such divisions have proven costly. During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union poured resources into competing technologies, many of which were designed for destruction. While the arms race fueled scientific advances, it also created unnecessary duplication and heightened global tensions. The current AI race risks similar consequences—advancing technology without addressing shared risks like cybersecurity threats, ethical dilemmas, and the potential misuse of AI by bad actors.

China’s rapid progress in AI, particularly its ability to achieve results with fewer resources, shows that innovation doesn’t rely solely on brute computational power. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity for mutual learning, the US is doubling down on isolationist policies, which may accelerate China’s efforts to achieve technological self-sufficiency. This could further polarize the global AI landscape, with each country pursuing its own standards and values.

While collaboration seems improbable, this doesn’t mean the US can’t take a leadership role in setting global standards independently. The deregulation path taken by Trump could still benefit from structured partnerships with like-minded allies, creating coalitions to promote ethical and secure AI development. While cooperation with China remains elusive, engaging Europe, Japan, and other AI leaders could ensure that the US is not operating in complete isolation.

The AI race doesn’t have to mirror the destructive patterns of past rivalries. Competition can drive innovation, but without some level of global alignment, it risks creating fragmented systems that work against humanity’s collective good. The US and China don’t have to agree on everything, but acknowledging shared risks like AI misuse and quantum security threats could be a starting point for pragmatic dialogue.

Under Trump, the possibility of bridging these divides feels slim. His administration’s focus on dominance over collaboration reinforces the adversarial dynamic. But as history has shown, even the fiercest rivals can find common ground when the stakes are high enough. AI, with its potential to reshape everything from security to society, represents precisely that level of urgency.

The world stands at a crossroads. The US and China may never fully cooperate, but a path must be found to ensure AI doesn’t become another tool of division. This requires bold leadership—not just in innovation but in responsibility and vision for a future where technology serves humanity, not rivalry.