Trump Scraps AI Executive Order After Musk, Zuckerberg Lobbying
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- Trump postponed signing the AI executive order, reportedly because "he just hates regulation" and "it's just something doomers wanted," per Axios sources.
- The signing event fell apart after top AI firm CEOs declined to attend, and the order "fell apart hours before the signing," per Ars Technica and the Washington Post.
- David Sacks was a driving force behind the cancellation, lobbying Trump in last-minute calls alongside other tech industry officials, per the Washington Post and TBPN.
- Trump spoke directly with Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg by phone, after which he told staff the EO is not moving forward.
- Industry leaders warned the proposed safety vetting system could inhibit development of AI, the technology that tech executives see as pivotal, per the Washington Post.
- There were internal questions about the EO giving the Treasury Department a leading role in AI oversight, per Axios.
- Trump publicly framed the delay as his own choice, telling CBS News he postponed the order "because I didn't like what I was seeing."
Why it matters: A planned federal AI safety vetting system was scrapped hours before signing after Musk, Zuckerberg, and Sacks personally lobbied the president, deferring any landmark US AI regulatory framework at a moment when the EO's stated goal was protecting American competitiveness against China's state-backed AI push.
