President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at establishing a single national framework for artificial intelligence and preventing individual U.S. states from enforcing their own, potentially conflicting AI regulations.

The move reflects the administration’s determination to maintain American leadership in advanced technologies by ensuring a clear and consistent regulatory environment.

The order directs federal agencies to develop and implement a coordinated AI policy, while instructing the Department of Justice to examine state laws that may obstruct or conflict with federal objectives.

Administration officials say a patchwork of state-level rules could burden businesses, slow deployment of new technologies and weaken the United States in an increasingly competitive global AI race.

According to the White House, the executive action is designed to encourage innovation, attract investment and provide legal certainty for companies developing and deploying artificial intelligence systems.

Supporters argue that national standards are essential for technologies that operate across state and national borders, and that fragmented regulation would undermine economic growth and security.

Some state leaders and lawmakers have expressed opposition, framing the issue as a dispute over states’ rights and regulatory authority.

The administration, however, maintains that the Constitution and existing federal powers support a unified approach in areas of strategic importance, particularly where national competitiveness and technological leadership are at stake.

As federal agencies begin implementing the order, legal and political debates are expected to continue, with courts likely to play a role in defining the balance between federal authority and state regulation in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.