White House urges Congress to take a light touch on AI regulations in new legislative blueprint

The White House on Friday called for Congress to override state-level artificial intelligence laws it considers too restrictive, presenting a broad legislative framework aimed at balancing regulation with innovation in the rapidly evolving sector.

The proposal outlines six guiding principles for lawmakers, focusing on protecting children, preventing electricity cost surges from AI infrastructure, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship, and educating Americans about the technology.

House Republican leadership quickly endorsed the framework, expressing willingness to work across the aisle on legislation. However, achieving consensus will likely prove challenging, requiring agreement with Senate Democrats amid deep public divisions over AI regulation.

“This was in response to a growing patchwork of 50 different state regulatory regimes that threaten to stifle innovation and jeopardize America’s lead in the AI race,” said White House AI czar David Sacks in a social media post Friday, adding that the administration’s next step is to work with Congress to transform these principles into federal law.

The framework appears strategically crafted to attract bipartisan support by addressing widespread concerns, such as the potential harms AI chatbot companions pose to children and the rising electricity costs associated with AI infrastructure development.

Neil Chilson, a Republican former chief technologist for the Federal Trade Commission who now leads AI policy at the Abundance Institute, noted the framework’s comprehensive approach. “It covers basically all the key sticking points I think that might stop an AI bill from moving through Congress,” he said. “It reads to me as an attempt to build a larger tent, even if it doesn’t give everybody everything that they want.”

The proposal has already faced criticism from some Democrats, including Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, who said it “fails to address key issues, including strong accountability for AI companies, under the guise of protecting children, communities, and creators.”

Success of any AI legislation will likely depend heavily on support from influential Republicans like Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has introduced her own AI bill and previously blocked Trump’s earlier attempt to curb state AI regulations. Blackburn called the new framework a roadmap and welcomed the administration to the “important discussion” of passing comprehensive legislation.

Several states have already implemented their own AI regulations. Texas enacted a law requiring government agencies and healthcare providers to disclose when they use AI for consumer interactions and prohibiting AI development that encourages harmful behaviors. California, Colorado, and Utah have also passed various AI-related laws.

Legal experts suggest a federal law following Trump’s framework could invalidate portions of these state laws. “The fact that it’s a Republican governor I don’t think is going to save Texas’ law from preemption,” said Saurabh Vishnubhakat, a professor at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law.

Colorado State Representative Jennifer Bacon, a Democrat, expressed the tension many legislators feel, noting that voters don’t want to stifle innovation or fall behind China, “but our constituents are interested in not becoming China.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office criticized the Trump proposal, with spokesperson Marissa Saldivar stating, “Yet again, Donald Trump is trying to gut laws in California that keep our residents safe and protect consumers — a core state responsibility.”

The administration clarifies that Congress shouldn’t preempt all state regulatory powers over AI, including enforcement of general laws against AI developers “to protect children, prevent fraud, and protect consumers.” It also respects states’ authority to decide where to place data centers and how to procure AI tools for law enforcement or education.

However, the framework argues states “should not be permitted to regulate AI development,” shouldn’t penalize AI developers for third-party misuse of their products, and “should not unduly burden Americans’ use of AI for activity that would be lawful if performed without AI.”

As concerns about data centers’ impact on power prices grow, the White House has increased pressure on AI companies and the power sector to address the issue, including having AI companies sign voluntary pledges earlier this month to build their own power generation facilities.

Some AI safety advocates believe the framework doesn’t adequately address risks to national security, the economy, or employment. “We have companies that explicitly are hoping to replace human labor,” said Brendan Steinhauser, who leads The Alliance for Secure AI. “Tinkering at the edges with upskilling and job training is just not going to make an impact on that.”

The framework also takes a measured approach to copyright issues, recommending against intervening in legal battles between creators and technology companies that have used copyrighted works to train AI systems. This position was welcomed by AI Progress, a coalition including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.