The White House released a broad national policy framework for artificial intelligence on Friday, presenting recommendations to Congress that would establish nationwide standards for the technology. Rather than creating a new regulatory body, the proposal calls on existing federal agencies to oversee AI development and deployment. The move comes as the Trump administration has openly criticized the growing number of state-level AI laws, describing them as a burdensome patchwork of requirements for companies.
The framework urges Congress to address child safety, innovation, free speech, and intellectual property through unified federal rules that would supersede state legislation deemed overly restrictive. At the same time, it specifies that federal standards should not strip states of their existing authority to enforce laws covering fraud, consumer protection, and child sexual abuse material. The administration framed the effort as essential to maintaining economic competitiveness and national security.
The Center for Democracy and Technology offered a measured response, acknowledging that the proposal contains some sound statements of principles while arguing it fails to resolve competing priorities. CDT Vice President of Policy Samir Jain said the framework’s usefulness to lawmakers is limited by internal contradictions, particularly around children’s online safety. Jain also pointed out what he described as a contradiction between the framework’s stated opposition to government coercion of AI platforms and the administration’s separate executive order targeting so-called woke AI.
The new framework follows earlier administration efforts to curtail state-level AI regulation. A draft executive order circulated in November outlined steps to challenge state laws and restrict funding to states that enacted measures seen as conflicting with federal priorities. Despite those efforts, states have continued legislating independently. In October, California enacted SB 243, which requires AI companion chatbots to identify themselves, restricts certain interactions with minors, and imposes disclosure obligations on large developers.
On the issue of children’s safety, the White House called on Congress to give parents greater control over how minors interact with AI systems, including account controls to protect privacy and manage device use. The administration also stated that AI platforms likely to be accessed by minors should implement features to reduce potential sexual exploitation and discourage self-harm. The framework additionally proposes expanding federal protections against unauthorized AI-generated deepfakes, building on a bipartisan law signed by Trump that made non-consensual intimate images and deepfake pornography a federal crime. The new proposal includes exceptions for parody, satire, news reporting, and other expressive works protected by the First Amendment.
Regarding copyright, the administration said it views AI training on copyrighted material as lawful but believes courts should resolve the matter, and it urged Congress not to take actions that would interfere with the judiciary’s determination of whether such training constitutes fair use. The plan also connects AI policy to infrastructure and economic objectives, including faster permitting for data centers and a proposed Ratepayer Protection Pledge aimed at preventing residential electricity costs from rising due to AI infrastructure expansion. Incentives for broader AI adoption and expanded access to federal datasets are also included.
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen sharply criticized the proposal, with co-president Robert Weissman calling it a framework designed to protect large technology companies at the expense of ordinary Americans. Weissman argued that preempting state laws without establishing robust federal replacements would effectively reduce oversight rather than improve it. He pointed to ongoing state-level efforts addressing deepfakes, AI companions, and algorithmic decision-making as examples of the regulatory work that could be undermined. Weissman predicted the proposal would not advance in Congress.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
