Trump White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would override state regulations on artificial intelligence.

The order would establish a task force inside the Justice Department to sue and potentially withhold federal funding from states that pass their own AI laws.

In a social media post earlier this week, the president wrote, quote,

We must have one federal standard instead of a patchwork of 50 state regulatory regimes.

If we don't, then China will easily catch us in the AI race.

Joining us now to break it all down is veteran tech journalist Jacob Ward, founder of the rip current.

Jake, it's always good to see you.

Jeff, thanks so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

Sure. So as first reported by the Washington Post, this draft executive order specifically

targets new AI laws in Colorado and California. What do these laws actually do? What argument

do the states make that they are even necessary? Well, I think the first argument here, Jeff,

is that these are absolutely the only laws

we have.

There are no federal regulations around AI at the moment.

And so the states have stepped in, right?

There's that famous saying that the states are the laboratory of law, and that is absolutely

what's been happening here.

So, you know, in a place like, let's say, Colorado, nearly six million people there are protected

against discrimination that

might come through AI when it comes to employment or housing or job applications,

you know, health insurance, all of that stuff.

In California, we have a very robust law here that's just been signed by the governor that

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