At a rally following the inauguration, President Trump had a desk on stage where he signed a number of executive orders. Early evening Targeted 78 to Biden administration orders, including the October 2023 guidance for artificial intelligence.
“The rescissions under this order will be the first of many steps the United States federal government will take to reform our institutions and economy,” it reads. There’s no explanation for any of the choices, just a long list with “The following actions are hereby canceled” as an introduction. Some were related to the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic while others related to migration, climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Biden’s executive order outlined an ambitious plan to provide protections for the general public and best practices for the federal government regarding artificial intelligence. More specifically, the EO sought to establish new standards for safety and security as well as watermarking protocols for artificial intelligence, civil rights, and consumer protection. It also laid out easy ways to mitigate the impact on workers at companies using AI as well as launching a new federal jobs portal seeking “more AI talent.”
In unilateral executive orders on Monday, Trump also withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time. He did so during his first term, but Biden restored American engagement when he took office.