Trump revokes AI reporting rule after receiving multi-million donations from tech leaders
Donald Trump signed an executive order cancelling a Biden AI safety reporting rule after AI executives donated millions to his campaign and super PAC.
In September 2024 the Biden administration started drafting a regulation that would compel AI companies to disclose experimental activities to federal regulators, citing risks of accidents that could cause injury or death. OpenAI and other AI firms resisted the measure, and several safety officials resigned. Prominent AI investors then donated millions to Donald Trump's campaign and his super PAC MAGA Inc., beginning with a $5 million contribution from Sam Altman's Tools for Humanity and followed by gifts from Marc Adreesson, Ben Horowitz, Elon Musk, and Greg Brockman and his wife, totaling tens of millions.
After Trump secured the presidency, he signed an executive order nine days after inauguration that terminated the Biden AI policies, including the reporting requirement. Subsequent donations continued, and by December the rule was formally withdrawn from the federal regulatory agenda. The donors now claim to support AI regulation while urging Congress to act after recent high-profile hacking incidents.
Why it matters
The story shows how political donations can shape national AI safety policy, affecting how emerging technologies are regulated.
How this story developed
- Sep 10 Nvidia CEO predicts AI will drive the next wave of cybersecurity growth
- Sep 15 Senator Bernie Sanders and commentator Steve Bannon will speak together at the Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, urging stricter AI safeguards.
- Sep 16 Bannon blamed the president’s inaction on the influence of tech oligarchs.
- Sep 20 Huang added a dismissal of AI apocalypse warnings to his earlier focus on AI‑driven cybersecurity growth.
- Sep 23 Coverage now omits the previously reported warnings and resignation of Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon.
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