Trump signs executive order banning 'woke AI' models
What's the story
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning "woke AI" and ideologically biased models from government contracts. The move comes amid rising concerns over censorship and bias in artificial intelligence (AI) tools. For example, AI models developed by Chinese companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba have been found to dodge questions critical of the Chinese Communist Party, prompting fears of ideological manipulation.
Order details
Targets DEI, calling it a 'pervasive and destructive ideology'
Trump's executive order specifically targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), calling it a "pervasive and destructive" ideology that can "distort the quality and accuracy of the output." It mentions several factors like race or sex information, manipulation of racial or sexual representation, critical race theory, transgenderism, unconscious bias, intersectionality, and systemic racism. Experts have warned this could pressure developers to align model outputs and datasets with White House rhetoric for federal funding.
Strategic shift
Trump unveils his 'AI Action Plan'
Along with the executive order, Trump also unveiled his "AI Action Plan," which shifts national priorities from societal risk to building AI infrastructure. The plan aims to reduce red tape for tech companies, bolster national security, and compete with China. The order directs several high-ranking officials to issue guidance on compliance with this directive across government agencies.
Public declaration
Once and for all, we are getting rid of woke
At an AI event hosted by the All-In Podcast and Hill & Valley Forum, Trump declared, "Once and for all, we are getting rid of woke." He further clarified his position by saying he would be signing an order banning federal government procurement of AI technology infused with partisan bias or ideological agendas like critical race theory. "From now on the US government will deal only with AI that pursues truth, fairness, and strict impartiality," he added.
Definition issues
Determining objective poses a significant challenge
Determining what is impartial or objective poses a significant challenge to the order. Philip Seargeant, senior lecturer in applied linguistics at the Open University, told TechCrunch that pure objectivity is a fantasy as language is never neutral. Also, the Trump administration's ideology doesn't represent all Americans's beliefs and values. This raises questions about how AI companies will interpret these terms and if they will comply with this executive order.
Industry implications
Executive order could have significant implications for AI companies
The executive order could have far-reaching implications for AI companies. While it doesn't have the force of legislation, frontier AI firms could still be affected by the changing priorities of the administration's political agenda. Last week, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI signed contracts with the Department of Defense worth up to $200 million each to develop agentic AI workflows for national security challenges. It remains unclear how these companies will respond to Trump's anti-woke AI order.