The Trump administration vigorously promotes executive orders to prevent states from regulating the AI industry, sparking discontent and direct criticism of AI "czar".

President Donald Trump is taking a tough stance, attempting to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. This move is tearing apart the tech lobbying camp and directing dissatisfaction directly at the president's chief AI advisor, David Sachs. Sachs, a venture capitalist based in San Francisco, drafted the executive order previously signed by Trump. The order uses the federal government's legal and financial power to pressure states on AI legislation. This move, controversial even within the Republican Party, is a major victory for Sachs - he not only led the drafting of the order, but also became the most active advocate within the White House. Prior to Trump signing the executive order, Sachs stood beside the president emphasizing the importance of the order. He said, "Having 50 states going in 50 different directions just doesn't make sense. We're creating a chaotic regulatory patchwork when what we really need is a unified federal standard." Most tech companies theoretically agree with this viewpoint. However, they and related lobbyists are worried that this executive order - and Sachs' bulldozer-style approach - may actually harm industry interests, create new friction in Congress, and disrupt the national AI regulatory strategy that had just made significant progress in California.