President Trump recently delivered a keynote speech at a summit organized by the All-In Podcast, during which he unveiled a new AI Action Plan and shared the United States’ approach to intellectual property in the context of artificial intelligence. He declared that the administration would adopt a "commonsense application" that allows AI firms to train their models without incurring fees for copyrighted materials. “You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book, or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for,” Trump indicated, emphasizing that such financial requirements are impractical.
In his speech, Trump reaffirmed his anti-woke stance, stating, “We are getting rid of woke.” He criticized what he referred to as "woke Marxist lunacy" influencing AI development, aligning his remarks with a broader rejection of ideological biases in technology.
David Sacks, White House AI and crypto advisor and cohost of the All-In Podcast, played a pivotal role in shaping this new directive. The AI Action Plan, a comprehensive 28-page document released earlier, proposes over 90 policy recommendations aimed at securing U.S. leadership in AI against competitors like China.
Since the boom of AI technologies began in 2022, tech companies have faced numerous legal challenges regarding their use of copyrighted material. The recent introduction of a bill by U.S. Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal aims to prohibit AI companies from utilizing copyrighted works without proper authorization. Trump’s comments, however, suggest that the White House does not endorse this legislative approach.
Supporters of relaxed copyright rules have praised Trump’s position. Adam Eisgrau of the Chamber of Progress stated, "Common sense dictates that requiring gen-AI developers to license the copyrighted works they’re trained on is both not doable and makes little sense.” He argued that the workings of AI, which have been recognized in court as “spectacularly transformative,” do not amount to plagiarism.
While the AI Action Plan focuses on decreasing regulatory burdens, it notably sidesteps direct references to intellectual property issues. Trump’s speech provided insight into the administration’s regulatory preferences for AI, emphasizing a lean towards less restrictive policies and expressing strong views against ideological bias in technology procurement practices. The plan proposes that only AI companies free from such biases should qualify for government contracts, reaffirming the commitment to an objective stance in AI development.
This story is developing, and further updates are expected.
