What does the re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. President mean for the future of technology and artificial intelligence? We're not talking about geopolitics or economic policies here, but about the direction of innovation and regulatory approaches to emerging technologies.
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Same goals, different paths
During the campaign, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris expressed a desire to see the U.S. lead in AI development. However, their visions for how to achieve this diverged significantly, particularly around the question of regulation.
The outgoing administration under President Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris as Vice President, has focused on safeguarding AI through regulations, privacy protections, and measures to mitigate potential threats to democracy and national security.
Trump, by contrast, advocates for deregulation and greater autonomy for the tech industry, aiming to accelerate AI innovation without restrictive policies.
AI safety and oversight
In her role as Vice President, Harris represented the Biden administration’s AI strategy at the first global summit on AI safety in the U.K. in 2023. Her address outlined a new regulatory framework for AI, highlighted by a presidential executive order aimed at setting guidelines for cybersecurity, privacy protections, and ensuring AI systems serve the public interest.
Harris emphasized that AI safety goes beyond preventing major failures. It also involves reducing harmful algorithmic effects on society, such as the spread of disinformation and biased decision-making.
Under Biden, institutions like the U.S. AI Safety Institute and the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) were created to promote safe, transparent technology and support global AI governance initiatives.
Trump’s different take
Trump’s stance on AI is clear: One of his first moves upon returning to the White House would be to repeal Biden’s AI executive order. He accuses the current administration of pushing “radical left-wing ideas” that stifle technological growth.
Interestingly, during his first term, Trump also issued an executive order on AI, emphasizing U.S. dominance in the field as key to national security and economic prosperity. However, his approach favors fewer regulations, focusing on rapid technological advancement driven by the private sector.
The key role of the private sector
It’s clear that the American private sector will play a pivotal role in the future of AI, regardless of who’s in office. Under Biden’s AI framework, tech companies are required to report on the security of their tools and infrastructure under the oversight of the Department of Commerce, led by Secretary Gina Raimondo. With formal regulations limited, the Commerce Department has taken on a more central role in this oversight, though Raimondo notes that her role is not regulatory in nature.
A similar dynamic exists across other federal agencies, where private companies significantly influence AI policy. The new Homeland Security AI and Safety Council includes top executives from tech giants like OpenAI, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Alphabet, raising concerns among civil society groups about corporate influence over national policy.
Regulation vs. deregulation
Had Kamala Harris won, the Biden administration’s regulatory trend would likely have continued, with a push for more control over AI. However, given the potential for gridlock in Congress, any new AI regulations could stall, leaving oversight largely in the hands of the Commerce Department and the private sector.
Meanwhile, Trump has drawn support from Silicon Valley billionaires like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen, who favor his deregulatory stance and support for smaller tech companies. They’ve proposed initiatives similar to the historical Manhattan Project to advance military technology through private-sector leadership.
It’s worth noting that Trump’s vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, may soften his anti-regulation stance. Vance has expressed support for current antitrust efforts by the Federal Trade Commission under Lina Khan, suggesting a nuanced approach to regulation.
How much priority the new administration will place on technology and AI remains to be seen. We’ll start getting answers by the first quarter of 2025, soon after the inauguration set for late January.
