- California Governor Gavin Newsom harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order on AI, arguing that it promotes “grift and corruption” rather than innovation.
- Trump’s order aims to prevent states from enacting their own AI regulations, seen as a major victory for tech companies that oppose regulatory barriers.
- Newsom accused Trump and AI-crypto advisor David Sacks of “not making policy but setting traps,” constantly testing how far they can go.
- The executive order establishes an AI litigation taskforce to review state AI laws deemed not to “enhance America’s global AI dominance.”
- The taskforce could sue states or threaten to cut federal broadband funding.
- California, home to many top AI companies and robust AI legislative activity, has become the center of opposition.
- In September 2025, Newsom signed the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, requiring frontier AI models to report transparency and safety incidents, or face fines of up to 1,000,000 USD.
- Representative Sara Jacobs called the order “deeply misguided and blatantly corrupt,” vowing to fight back through the courts and Congress.
- California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned he would review the legality of the order.
- The AFL-CIO union stated this is an attempt to hand “unchecked power” to tech billionaires.
- Lawmakers from Colorado, Virginia, and New York also condemned the order, calling it the creation of a lawless “Wild West” for AI.
- Child protection organizations warned that AI chatbots have been linked to multiple suicides, arguing the administration is sacrificing child safety for tech profits.
- Some conservative figures, including Steve Bannon, also criticized this unilateral policy approach.
📌 California Governor Gavin Newsom harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order on AI, arguing that it promotes “grift and corruption” rather than innovation. While the federal administration wants to block state laws to “protect AI dominance,” lawmakers, unions, and social organizations warn of the risk of removing safety rails and granting excessive power to Big Tech. This controversy shows that the US still lacks a comprehensive federal AI policy framework, making a legal battle almost inevitable.
