On July 23, 2025, the White House released the US National AI Action Plan, titled “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” fulfilling the directives of Executive Order 14179 signed by President Donald J. Trump on January 23, 2025.
This comprehensive strategy emphasizes deregulation to unleash private-sector innovation and accelerate the development of AI infrastructure, positioning the United States to maintain its edge in the global AI competition.
Structured around three core pillars accelerating innovation, building AI infrastructure, and leading in international diplomacy and security, the US National AI Action Plan aims to secure American dominance in artificial intelligence, thereby enhancing economic competitiveness and bolstering national security amid intensifying rivalry with nations like China.
Background on the Plan’s Development
The US National AI Action Plan traces its origins to President Trump’s Executive Order 14179, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which sought to dismantle regulatory obstacles that could impede U.S.
AI advancement. Issued shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the order directed key administration officials, including the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, the AI and Crypto Czar, and the National Security Advisor, to formulate a national strategy within 180 days.
This initiative was built on earlier actions, such as the revocation of prior executive orders perceived as overly restrictive, including elements of Executive Order 14110 from the previous administration.
A critical component of the development process was robust public engagement. In February 2025, the Federal Register published a Request for Information (RFI) soliciting input on priority actions to sustain U.S.
AI leadership, with submissions due by March 15, 2025. This effort garnered over 10,000 comments from stakeholders across academia, industry, private organizations, and government entities, reflecting widespread interest in shaping federal AI policy.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) coordinated the review, incorporating diverse perspectives to ensure the plan addressed both innovation barriers and strategic imperatives.
Subsequent policy measures, such as the elimination of cumbersome federal AI procurement guidelines that emphasized ideological considerations, further paved the way for the plan’s release.
By July 2025, the US National AI Action Plan emerged as a 25-page document outlining over 90 federal policy positions, accompanied by three new executive orders to expedite implementation.
Key Elements of Deregulation
Central to the US National AI Action Plan is a robust deregulation agenda designed to eliminate barriers that stifle private-sector AI development.
Federal procurement processes are targeted for revision to prioritize objective AI models, explicitly free from ideological biases such as those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or climate change mandates.
The plan directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance by November 2025, ensuring agencies procure only systems that emphasize truth-seeking and neutrality, building on Executive Order 13960 from 2020.
This shift aims to prevent the federal government from funding AI that sacrifices accuracy for agendas, a concern highlighted in the accompanying Executive Order on “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government.”
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is instructed to update its AI Risk Management Framework, removing references to misinformation, DEI, and environmental factors to focus on core technical risks.
This revision seeks to streamline standards without imposing extraneous requirements that could disadvantage U.S. developers. Additionally, the plan proposes measures to harmonize state-level regulations, advocating for federal preemption of overly burdensome laws that fragment the market and benefit foreign competitors like China.
Proposals include upholding First Amendment protections for AI-generated content and neutralizing compliance mandates that disproportionately affect American firms, such as disparate state AI bills exceeding 700 in number.
By fostering a unified regulatory environment, the US National AI Action Plan intends to empower innovators while safeguarding constitutional principles.
Focus on Infrastructure Acceleration
The US National AI Action Plan places significant emphasis on accelerating AI infrastructure to meet the surging demands of energy-intensive computing.
Streamlined permitting under key environmental statutes, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act, is a cornerstone, with directives to expedite approvals for data centers, semiconductor facilities, and related energy projects.
Executive Order 14318, signed on July 23, 2025, revokes prior orders requiring extensive environmental reviews and clean energy alignments, instead promoting nationwide permits and categorical exclusions to reduce timelines from years to months.
Recommendations include leveraging federal lands for construction, with the Departments of Interior, Energy, and Defense identifying suitable sites by specified deadlines.
Investments in grid upgrades are prioritized to support AI’s power needs, alongside security protocols to prevent foreign infiltration, such as enhanced cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. The plan also calls for workforce initiatives to train electricians and HVAC technicians for these projects.
Complementing these efforts, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched the USAi platform on August 14, 2025, providing federal agencies with secure, no-cost access to AI tools from providers like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic for testing and adoption.
This shared service aligns with the plan’s goals by enabling rapid experimentation while enforcing unbiased AI principles and inventory tracking per OMB guidelines.
Implications for Innovation, Workforce, and National Security
The US National AI Action Plan promises transformative implications across innovation, workforce development, and national security.
By prioritizing deregulation and infrastructure, it is poised to spur economic growth through AI-driven efficiencies in sectors like healthcare, energy, and manufacturing, potentially creating millions of high-paying jobs.
The plan advocates for AI literacy programs and retraining initiatives, including a proposed research hub to analyze labor market shifts, ensuring American workers benefit from technological transitions.
Domain-specific standards will promote safe integration, such as in medical diagnostics or energy optimization, while countering Chinese influence in global bodies like the UN’s AI governance forums.
Reactions blend excitement with caution. Industry leaders express optimism about accelerated growth, yet analysts highlight risks in frontier AI models, including ethical lapses and geopolitical tensions.
The plan’s focus on exporting U.S. AI standards could enhance security alliances but raises concerns over dependency on American tech abroad.
Overall, it positions the U.S. to outpace adversaries, though balancing innovation with safeguards remains a suspenseful challenge.
Reactions and Expert Commentary
Stakeholders have responded enthusiastically to the US National AI Action Plan, viewing it as a catalyst for American leadership. AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks stated, “This Action Plan provides a roadmap for doing that.
Winning the AI Race is non-negotiable. America must continue to be the dominant force in artificial intelligence to promote prosperity and protect our economic and national security.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized global implications, noting, “These clear-cut policy goals set expectations for the Federal Government to ensure America sets the technological gold standard worldwide, and that the world continues to run on American technology.”
Industry voices, including OpenAI, advocated for regulatory freedom in their submissions, proposing strategies for copyright flexibility and export controls to foster innovation while addressing national security.
Congressional perspectives were highlighted in the Senate Commerce Committee’s September 10, 2025, hearing titled “AI’ve Got a Plan: America’s AI Action Plan,” where Subcommittee Chairman Ted Budd stressed the need for legislative support to prevent overregulation and bolster infrastructure.
Witnesses, including OSTP Director Michael Kratsios, underscored implementation progress, affirming the plan’s role in sustaining U.S. dominance.
Challenges and Future Outlook
Despite its ambitions, the US National AI Action Plan faces hurdles in balancing rapid innovation with imperatives for safety, privacy, and cybersecurity.
Geopolitical tensions, particularly with China, could complicate export strategies and international diplomacy, while domestic concerns over AI biases or job displacement persist.
Implementation timelines are aggressive, with policy revisions mandated within 180 days of Executive Order 14179, potentially influencing holiday-season tech investments by spurring private funding in compliant projects.
Looking ahead, the plan may catalyze advancements in AI diplomacy, such as alliances promoting U.S. standards, but success hinges on agile adaptation to emerging risks.
Analysts anticipate phased rollouts, with infrastructure projects accelerating by early 2026, positioning the U.S. favorably in the global AI race.
Conclusion
The US National AI Action Plan stands as a strategic blueprint for asserting American leadership in artificial intelligence, leveraging deregulation and infrastructure acceleration to drive innovation and economic prosperity.
By addressing regulatory burdens and fostering secure growth, it underscores a professional commitment to human flourishing amid technological evolution.
As the United States navigates this landscape, the plan’s execution will determine its efficacy against global rivals, ultimately shaping long-term advancements that benefit society and reinforce national resilience.
Abdul Basit is a US-based tech writer who covers Apple innovations, Tesla’s EV growth, AI breakthroughs, smartphone trends, and app reviews for global readers.