Trump Allies Plan Massive AI Revolution: Secret ‘Manhattan Projects’ for Defense Revealed

Pro-industry AI policy could change in a second Trump administration, as Trump allies write a broad AI executive order to improve military technology and cut rules.

Allies of former president Donald Trump are writing a broad AI executive order that would start a series of “Manhattan Projects” to develop military technology and immediately review “unnecessary and burdensome regulations.” This shows that a possible second Trump administration might pursue AI policies that are good for Silicon Valley investors and companies.

According to a copy of the paper seen only by The Washington Post, the framework would also set up “industry-led” agencies to test AI models and protect systems from attacks from other countries.

An important part of the framework is a section called “Make America First in AI.” This is a very different approach to the growing field than what the Biden administration took last year, when they used emergency powers to test the safety of the next generation of AI systems.

A person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private plans, said that people from the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit run by Trump’s former chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow and other former Trump officials, have been working on it.

In order to get ready for this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the GOP passed a platform that calls for getting rid of the Joe Biden AI executive order. Some tech investors and start-ups have said that this order sets too many rules that make it hard to be innovative.

This move by the GOP comes at a time when politics are changing in Silicon Valley in a big way. Some leaders and investors who used to support Barack Obama are now backing Trump.