President Donald Trump halted the signing of an AI oversight executive order on May 21, pulling the plug just hours before it was scheduled to take effect. The reason: he worried it would slow down the very industry the US is racing to dominate.
The proposed order would have created a voluntary framework allowing the federal government to review advanced AI models from major tech companies, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, xAI, and Anthropic. The reviews were designed to facilitate national security assessments and cybersecurity evaluations before these systems reached the public.
China looms large over the decision
Trump’s reversal came in the context of a direct dialogue with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which the two leaders discussed AI leadership. Trump reportedly emphasized the importance of maintaining the US lead in AI development and flagged the risks of bureaucratic delays that could erode that advantage.
A pattern of deregulation, not an isolated move
