DYNAMIC AND COMPLEX: GOVERNING AI DEVELOPMENTS AND INNOVATION
In a few short years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become central to innovations in industries as diverse as medical research and entertainment, and it has become the defining motivator for policies driving geopolitical competition. And as a leading issue for businesses, policymakers and the public, AI must now also contend with its status as the focus of rapidly growing government enforcement efforts.
In its initial efforts, the Trump administration pivoted from the ‘safety first’ approach of the Biden administration to one of US competitiveness and AI dominance. This change was on display in July 2025, when the White House released its ‘Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan’ heralding AI’s potential for economic growth. The plan also recommended reconsidering existing regulations and suspending investigations that disproportionately stifled AI innovation. In December 2025, President Trump issued an executive order, ‘Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence’, aiming to establish a single, national regulatory framework for AI, streamline AI oversight, reduce regulatory fragmentation and bolster American competitiveness.
More recently, however, the administration has embraced broader involvement in governing AI developments and innovation. In June, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order (EO), ‘Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security’, including a request that companies grant the government pre-release access to new or advanced AI models up to 30 days prior to their release to other parties. The EO notes this does not create any associated mandatory licensing, preclearing or permitting requirement.
Jul-Sep 2026 issue
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP