The Donald Trump administration is reportedly preparing a sweeping executive order aimed at curbing perceived liberal bias in artificial intelligence models used by government contractors.
What Happened: The White House plans to require AI companies receiving federal contracts to ensure their models are politically neutral, reported the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.
The upcoming executive order is part of a broader agenda led by Trump's top tech advisers, David Sacks and Sriram Krishnan, both of whom have raised concerns about "woke" outputs from popular AI systems.
The order targets what administration officials view as left-leaning bias in AI-generated content, including controversial depictions of historical figures and politically charged responses to prompts.
For instance, Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Gemini model previously came under fire for generating racially diverse images of Nazis and depicting George Washington as Black.
The executive order would apply to any AI firm seeking federal contracts, potentially forcing major tech players to adjust how they train and fine-tune large language models.
Political neutrality could become a requirement for AI used in federal agencies, marking a significant regulatory shift, the report said.
This order is expected to be part of a broader AI initiative from the Trump administration, which includes promoting U.S. chip exports, streamlining data center permitting and expanding energy production to support AI infrastructure.
Why It's Important: With major firms like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Google, Anthropic and Elon Musk's xAI vying for government AI contracts, the executive order could have a profound impact on how models are developed and deployed.
While it may appeal to conservative critics of “woke AI,” it's likely to raise alarms across Silicon Valley, where developers warn that political constraints could hamper innovation.
Earlier this year, companies like Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., both significant government contractors, adjusted their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies in response to an executive order issued by Trump.
Last month, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration's decision to revoke over $1 billion in NIH research grants—mainly affecting diversity-focused studies—was unlawful.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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