Trump bans ‘woke AI’, launches American AI action plan for global leadership

Central to the new policy is an order titled “Preventing woke AI in the Federal Government,” directing agencies to reject AI models shaped by DEI principles and mandating that government-procured LLMs remain neutral, nonpartisan, and free from ideological bias

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders aimed at reshaping the federal government’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI), declaring a clampdown on so-called "woke AI" and outlining plans to position the United States as a dominant force in AI exports.

At the heart of this policy shift is a directive titled “Preventing woke AI in the Federal Government”, which mandates that government agencies avoid using AI models that reflect ideological agendas—particularly those aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles. The order criticizes DEI as a politically charged framework that undermines accuracy and objectivity in AI systems, calling it “destructive” and cautioning against its influence on machine learning outputs.

The order asserts that large language models (LLMs) procured by the government must be neutral and nonpartisan. It stipulates that these systems should not manipulate results to favour concepts like critical race theory, systemic racism, or gender identity. Developers, the order notes, must avoid encoding such perspectives unless prompted directly by users.

Trump’s broader plan, titled “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” includes 90 federal initiatives to bolster U.S. leadership in AI. Among them is the creation of an “American AI Exports Program” to facilitate the global distribution of U.S.-built AI systems, as well as another order removing what the administration describes as “burdensome regulations” that hinder AI innovation.

Political bias clouds AI development

The executive action comes amid rising scrutiny over political bias in AI models. Earlier this year, image-generation tools from Google and other tech firms faced backlash for historical inaccuracies and biased outputs, prompting product updates. The Trump administration cited such cases as evidence of ideological distortion in commercial AI systems.

The move also mirrors rhetoric from Elon Musk’s xAI, which markets its chatbot, Grok, as “anti-woke” and committed to truth-seeking. However, Grok has courted controversy, including episodes where it produced offensive or politically sensitive responses. xAI has since acknowledged flaws and issued corrections.

While the administration encourages strict standards for public sector AI use, it has signaled caution around regulating private AI developers. As global governments debate how to govern AI responsibly, the U.S. still lacks comprehensive legislation to address the technology’s evolving risks and ethical challenges.