At a rally following the inauguration ceremonies, President Trump brought a desk onto the stage where he signed a number of executive orders. The first of the evening aimed for 78 orders from the Biden administration, including the October 2023 guidelines for AI.
“The revocations provided for in this order will be the first of many steps the United States federal government will take to repair our institutions and our economy,” we read in the text. There is no explanation for any of the selections, just a long list with “the following actions are hereby revoked” as an introduction. Some were related to the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while others concerned immigration, climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Biden’s executive order outlines an ambitious plan to establish protections for the general public and best practices for the federal government when it comes to artificial intelligence. Specifically, the EO sought new standards for safety and security, in addition to protocols for AI watermarking and civil and consumer rights protections. He also outlined ways to mitigate the impact on workers at companies using AI and launched a new federal jobs portal seeking “more AI talent.”
In singular executive orders on Monday, Trump also withdrew the U.S. of the Paris climate agreement for the second time. He did so during his first term, but Biden restored U.S. participation when he took office.
