Major Tech Companies Support US President Trump's Plan to Relax AI Regulations

US President Donald Trump's hands-off approach to regulating AI is gaining significant support from major tech companies, such as Google, Meta, Microsoft-backed OpenAI, and Amazon-backed Anthropic. In their submissions to the White House’s AI Action Plan, these companies argue that loosening regulations on the development of large language models (LLMs) and other AI technologies is crucial for maintaining the US’s competitive edge over China. This comes after a Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, made waves in Silicon Valley by claiming to have developed an advanced AI model at a fraction of the cost of US competitors.

Since taking office in January, President Trump’s focus has shifted away from concerns about AI risks such as hallucinations, deepfakes, and job displacement, and instead has centered on pushing forward AI development as quickly as possible. He also overturned former President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI, which had proposed safety measures for powerful AI models. At the AI Action Summit in Paris last month, US Vice President JD Vance stated, “The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety.”

Trump’s Proposed AI Action Plan

To ensure the US remains the "undeniable leader in AI technology," the Trump administration has called for industry input on an AI action plan, which is expected to be finalized in the summer.

In its proposal, OpenAI criticized DeepSeek’s AI models as "state-subsidized" and "state-controlled," citing privacy and security concerns. OpenAI also advocated for the right to train its AI models on copyrighted content under the fair use exception, stating that without this access, “America loses, as does the success of democratic AI.”
Meanwhile, Meta’s submission emphasized the importance of open-source models for the US to stay ahead of China in the AI race, while Google focused on the infrastructure needed to support AI's significant energy demands. Google also argued against having state-by-state regulations for AI in the US.

However, a group of prominent artists and celebrities, including Ben Stiller and Cynthia Erivo, rejected the fair use argument made by tech companies to justify training AI on copyrighted material.

Global Perspectives

Trump’s light-touch regulatory approach starkly contrasts with the European Union's (EU) approach, which 2024 passed the groundbreaking AI Act to regulate the technology. While the EU is now shifting its focus toward investment and innovation, it remains committed to imposing stringent regulations on big tech companies.
Recently, the European Commission announced two significant antitrust enforcement actions against Google and Apple. The EU’s preliminary findings suggest that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, likely violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This could result in fines amounting to 10% of Google’s global annual revenue if confirmed.

The Commission also laid out steps for Apple to comply with the DMA, particularly regarding its products’ interoperability with third-party devices and services. EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said the findings aim to ensure Alphabet complies with EU rules concerning widely used services like Google Search and Android phones.

In response, Apple argued that these decisions would hinder innovation in Europe, forcing them to offer new features for free to companies that don't adhere to the same regulations. Google, in turn, stated that the Commission’s findings would make it harder for users to find what they need and decrease traffic to European businesses.

Source: India Express