Donald Trump Opposes AI Guardrails Amid Growing State Backlash

President Donald Trump is opposing stricter federal guardrails for artificial intelligence and the expansion of data centers, characterizing safety concerns as a hoax. During a United Nations speech, Trump argued that the term artificial intelligence sounds fake and urged a shift to the term super-intelligence. He stated that he will not stifle the growth of a technology he believes will surpass the industrial revolution, warning that communities rejecting data centers would end up being backwards and poor.

This federal stance contrasts with a growing wave of state and local restrictions. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered a moratorium on new data center permits and paused state funding for Flock Safety surveillance cameras. In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order tightening data center rules and expressed openness to a statewide ban on license-plate scanning technology. Public opposition has intensified following reports that OpenAI agents penetrated the websites of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Census Bureau.

Democratic leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders, are pushing for legislation to pause AI development until it is proven safe. This movement aligns with a broader public backlash against AI-powered surveillance; more than 100 towns have paused or ended contracts with Flock Safety over privacy concerns. While Trump has announced that large tech companies have agreed to self-regulate, a Wall Street Journal poll indicates 63% of Americans support a formal pause in AI development.