Trump Revokes AI Safety Order After Late Calls From Musk, Zuckerberg, and Sacks
President Donald Trump rescinded the Biden administration’s sweeping AI safety executive order on Monday, following last-minute phone calls from Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and venture capitalist David Sacks. The reversal eliminates federal requirements for AI developers to report safety tests and share data with the government.
The order, formally known as Executive Order 14110, had mandated that companies building powerful AI models submit red-teaming results and risk assessments to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Trump’s revocation effectively dismantles the only federal framework for AI oversight.
Why the Order Was Pulled
Industry heavyweights lobbied the White House directly during the final hours before the decision. Sources confirm that Musk, Zuckerberg, and Sacks each spoke with Trump, arguing the regulations would stifle innovation and advantage foreign competitors like China.
“The AI safety order imposed burdensome compliance costs that would have slowed American leadership in artificial intelligence,” a senior administration official told reporters.
The calls came as Trump moved to fulfill a campaign promise to roll back what he called “excessive tech regulation.” His administration framed the revocation as a pro-innovation move, though critics warn it eliminates crucial guardrails for safety testing.
What the Revoked Order Required
Biden’s executive order had four main pillars:
Safety testing mandates — Companies developing “dual-use foundation models” (AI systems with potential for misuse) had to conduct adversarial red-teaming and share results with the government.
Reporting obligations — Developers were required to notify federal authorities of any unsafe or discriminatory outcomes detected during testing.
Data transparency — Firms had to document training data sources, cybersecurity protections, and model weights storage protocols.
National security provisions — The order directed agencies to prevent foreign adversaries from acquiring U.S. AI technology through transfer or espionage.
All of these requirements are now void.
Immediate Reactions
The tech community split sharply. Musk, who had previously called for AI regulation, tweeted that the original order was “overly bureaucratic and burdensome.” Zuckerberg’s Meta praised the revocation for allowing “open innovation without government overreach.”
Critics were less forgiving. AI safety researchers warned that removing transparency rules could lead to unchecked deployment of dangerous models.
“We are now operating without any federal safety net for the most transformative technology of our era,” said Dr. Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member. “This is reckless.”
Consumer advocacy groups also denounced the decision, arguing it puts user privacy and election integrity at risk. No replacement policy has been announced.
What Happens Next
Federal agencies no longer have authority to demand AI safety data. The revocation also cancels a planned Department of Commerce rule on export controls for AI chips. Companies retain the option to voluntarily publish safety reports, but no enforcement mechanism exists.
Trump’s tech advisors are reportedly drafting a lighter regulatory framework, though no timeline has been set. In the interim, oversight of AI development shifts entirely to the private sector and state-level laws.
Broader Implications
The move aligns Trump with a deregulatory stance backed by Silicon Valley donors. It reverses a key Biden legacy item and leaves the United States without a central AI policy at a time when the European Union’s AI Act goes into full effect.
Industry observers note that the revocation does not affect existing state laws, such as California’s AI transparency bill, which applies to models used within the state.
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