**The Unholy Union of Big AI and Big Idiot**

President Donald Trump's latest executive order has sparked widespread concern among lawmakers, critics, and even some within his own party. The order seeks to strip away the rights of states to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) for themselves, protecting their citizens from its potentially devastating effects.

The move is a classic example of the unholy union between Trump's ego, financial interests, and his affinity for Big Tech leaders in the field of AI. Like a starling drawn to magnetic north, Trump has been inexorably drawn to whatever segment of the billionaire ruling class can best line his pockets.

According to sources close to the White House, Trump was pleased by the thought of exerting his influence in yet another area where the executive branch has no power by the letter of the law. The executive order, "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence," grants the Justice Department broad authority to sue states for any laws that don't support "United States' global AI dominance."

Critics argue that this move undermines the rights of states to protect their residents from the myriad perils of unregulated AI use. Trump's team has been known to frequently utilize AI in impressively juvenile ways, generating deranged video depictions of the President in various guises of the heroic strongman iconography he fetishizes.

The executive order has been decried by conservative think tanks, nonprofit organizations, Republican state governors, and even Sen. Josh Hawley (MO), who condemned the attempt to insert this language into the defense bill as a "terrible provision."

Adam Billen, vice president of digital child safety nonprofit Encode, sums up the threat of Trump's executive order: "Even if everything is overturned in the executive order, the chilling effect on states' willingness to protect their residents is going to be huge because they're all now going to fear getting attacked directly by the Trump administration."

The move has sparked a fierce debate among lawmakers and experts. Some argue that AI companies want to get around being held accountable for the Pandora's box they're opening and reopening on a weekly basis – issues so obvious that all 50 U.S. states have already passed legislation of some kind to address them.

States like California, home to many of the world's largest AI companies, have passed separate pieces of AI legislation that Trump's executive order could seek to undo. These include bans on using deepfakes in politics and requirements for AI companies to create tools for the public to identify AI-generated photos and videos.

Trump's affinity for Big Tech leaders has been well-documented, particularly his relationship with Silicon Valley venture capitalist David Sacks, who has fashioned himself into the administration's leading AI and cryptocurrency advisor. According to a New York Times analysis of Sacks' financial disclosures, he has at least 708 tech investments, nearly 500 of which are in companies connected to artificial intelligence that could be aided directly or indirectly by his policies.

The executive order has been widely criticized for its lack of transparency and accountability. It empowers tools of the administration to threaten states with punishment in some way as the "AI Litigation Task Force" it creates sues states over their "onerous" regulations.

The move has sparked a fierce debate among lawmakers, experts, and citizens alike. As one expert noted, "This is a classic example of Trump's ego, financial interests, and general disregard for how any of it might affect American citizens."

**The Implications**

The implications of this executive order are far-reaching and potentially devastating for states and their residents. By stripping away the rights of states to regulate AI, Trump has effectively given a green light to companies like Google, Nvidia, OpenAI, and Anthropic to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable in the development and deployment of AI.

The executive order also instructs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to study the feasibility of stripping states that don't comply of federal rural broadband funding – a move that targets his own voters with negative consequences.

As one expert noted, "This is a clear example of Trump's willingness to sacrifice the interests of American citizens for the benefit of his wealthy donors and supporters."

**The Future**

The future of this executive order remains uncertain. It will likely be challenged in court on grounds that the executive branch simply isn't meant to be imbued with this kind of authority to preempt state laws.

However, with a Supreme Court that has become increasingly partisan and a Congress that regularly applauds Trump's hacking away at the power of the legislative branch, one wonders if there's anything standing between the average citizens and "whatever David Sacks wants" as the law of the land.

**Sources**

* The New York Times * NPR * Common Dreams * Twitter