We know what you’re thinking: there just isn’t enough AI around right now. Luckily for you, Donald Trump emphatically agrees. According to a new report from Reuters, his administration is assembling a number of executive actions that would significantly increase the energy supply used for expanding artificial intelligence. The US and China are currently battling it out to lead the way in the rapidly growing sector, but American companies will need more infrastructure to make the advances Trump wants.
“With the right Government policies, we can solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans,” he said back in January when signing an executive order in his first days in office that made clear his intention to reduce any regulatory hurdles to allow unchecked development in the area.
Reuters was told by sources that asked to remain anonymous that, if passed, the planned executive orders would “make it easier for power-generating projects to connect to the grid, and provide federal land on which to build the data centers needed to expand AI technology.” The Trump administration is reportedly also planning to release an “AI action plan” and schedule a number of public events that promote its ongoing efforts.
Power-hungry data centers are often large and not quick to build, but in an attempt to speed up the process, Trump’s actions may offer land managed by the Defense Department or Interior Department to AI project developers. A nationwide Clean Water Act permit, meanwhile, would mean permission to build would no longer operate on a state-by-state basis, making it easier for developers to get projects off the ground.
Donald Trump’s AI crusade has been ongoing since he took office. After initially taking an eraser to Biden’s extensive AI protection framework, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed a “big, beautiful bill” that places a 10-year ban on state AI regulations. It still has to pass through the Senate.