Trump hits undo on Biden AI safety order, EV mandate, emissions standards, and more
- Reference: 1737480610
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/21/trump_eliminates_biden_ai_order/
- Source link:
Trump [1]revoked nearly 80 Biden EOs in his first day in office, including EO [2]14037 , the EV mandate, and EO [3]14110 , which established [4]AI safety standards that, among other things, required companies building foundation models able to perform multiple different tasks to report said development to the US government.
Biden's AI EO also included requirements that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) develop safety standards for AI that would test systems for their potential to be used in creation of weapons of mass destruction, or as tools for the creation of disinformation. The EO further placed requirements on the military and intelligence communities for safe and ethical use of AI, and called for action to address potential civil rights violations that could be caused by AI, such as discrimination, lack of access to healthcare, and housing bias.
[5]
All those protections have been struck from federal law, as [6]expected . The Republican Party's 2024 [7]platform pledged to do just that, calling the AI EO "dangerous," and claiming it hindered innovation in the space by imposing "Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology."
[8]
[9]
The President hasn't put anything substantial forward to protect Americans from harmful domestic AI production so far, with the Republican platform only saying that the party supports "AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing."
Trump's EO flurry didn't touch recently enacted [10]export controls on AI chips or a last-minute Biden EO that [11]opened federal land to datacenter projects.
[12]
Shares in producers of AI hardware, [13]including Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom, are all up at the time of writing.
Green New Deal DOA
With the canning of EO 14037, Trump not only scrapped the US's goal of transitioning half of passenger vehicles on American roads into zero-emissions vehicles (including battery electric, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles) by 2030, but eliminated a number of planned vehicle standards as well.
The Biden EO included provisions for the Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency to establish new emissions, fuel economy, and fuel efficiency standards for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles, all of which are now eliminated as well. None of the standards were in effect yet, with the earliest planned for Model Year 2027 vehicles, so it's not clear whether the automotive industry will need to pivot that much in response.
Under European Union regulations, all new cars and vans registered in the member states must be zero emission from 2035. However, the European motor industry has been calling for a reopening of the 2035 car CO 2 law, with carmakers in the Industry for 2035 pressure group pushing to kill the combustion engine ban, signing an [14]open letter to that effect in September last year.
[15]Trump's Department of Government Efficiency emerges with tech modernization mission
[16]Billion-dollar US broadband bonanza awaits Biden's blessing – what you need to know
[17]Trump's freshly minted meme coin passes $10B market cap
[18]Car dealers openly beg Biden to put brakes on electric vehicle drive
While the zero emissions Biden EO has been eliminated, [19]another executive order signed by Trump yesterday, titled Unleashing American Energy, has taken steps to terminate the so-called Green New Deal in its entirety.
The Trump EO orders all agencies to "immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)," with a particular callout for [20]funds reserved for electric vehicle infrastructure development.
Among other things the IRA and IIJA dedicated cash toward was [21]funding of US national laboratories to help develop new energy technologies and help [22]create a domestic supply chain for critical minerals and other green energy resources, which Trump called for in his Energy executive order.
[23]
It's not clear how much of the work done using IRA and IIJA funds would be transferable to Trump's attempt to restart domestic energy production development in his name instead of Biden's. We contacted the White House to learn more about what elements of the two laws were being suspended, but didn't immediately hear back.
Elsewhere in the US
Trump also signed several executive orders of his own on inauguration day that will definitely turn heads.
Along with commuting the sentences of a number of individuals put in prison over the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capital to stop certification of Joe Biden's win over Trump in the 2020 election, Trump also [24]pardoned everyone convicted of a crime related to the insurrection attempt and ordered the Attorney General to end all prosecutions and indictments of individuals yet to be convicted.
Trump also [25]ordered that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America, as he claimed he wanted to do during the presidential campaign. The same executive order also calls for renaming Mount Denali, the highest peak in the United States, back to Mount McKinley, with a concession for the Alaskan natives who have called the mountain Denali for centuries to get some other landmarks named "to honor their history and culture."
The President also [26]changed the rules around birthright citizenship, [27]paused refugee admissions (while also [28]shutting down the CBP One app set up by the Biden administration to handle asylum requests and canceling all scheduled appointments made via the app), [29]suspended foreign aid for 90 days pending a review, [30]expanded the federal death penalty, [31]halted leasing and permitting for wind energy projects and has [32]frozen hiring across the government – with the exception of the military, national security, public safety, and immigration enforcement. Another [33]EO adds that the US will be withdrawing from the World Health Organization.
Trump also [34]declared another national emergency at the southern border and [35]ordered the military to act domestically to secure it, which is [36]likely to face legal challenges.
Buckle up – it's going to be an interesting four years. ®
Get our [37]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions/
[2] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/10/2021-17121/strengthening-american-leadership-in-clean-cars-and-trucks
[3] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/01/2023-24283/safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/30/us_president_to_sign_new/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5AnGjfmiQq7f-id6OD-1QAAAQs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/ai_policy_trump/
[7] https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform#:~:text=Artificial%20Intelligence%20(AI)
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5AnGjfmiQq7f-id6OD-1QAAAQs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5AnGjfmiQq7f-id6OD-1QAAAQs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/09/us_weighing_global_limits_ai_exports/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/14/biden_ai_executive_order/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5AnGjfmiQq7f-id6OD-1QAAAQs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.barrons.com/articles/nvidia-stock-trump-revokes-ai-order-43a8e7ac
[14] https://industryfor2035.org/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/21/doge_us_digital_service_renamed/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/10/us_broadband_infrastructure/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/20/trump_meme_coin/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/29/ev_car_dealers_biden/
[19] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/
[20] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/15/biden_900m_electric_vehicles/
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/07/doe_supercomputering_grant/
[22] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/08/us_and_eu_critical_minerals/
[23] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/publicsector&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5AnGjfmiQq7f-id6OD-1QAAAQs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[24] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/granting-pardons-and-commutation-of-sentences-for-certain-offenses-relating-to-the-events-at-or-near-the-united-states-capitol-on-january-6-2021/
[25] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-names-that-honor-american-greatness/
[26] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/
[27] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/realigning-the-united-states-refugee-admissions-program/
[28] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-shuts-cbp-one-immigration-app-dashing-migrants-hopes-entering-us-rcna188448
[29] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/
[30] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-the-death-penalty-and-protecting-public-safety/
[31] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/temporary-withdrawal-of-all-areas-on-the-outer-continental-shelf-from-offshore-wind-leasing-and-review-of-the-federal-governments-leasing-and-permitting-practices-for-wind-projects/
[32] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/hiring-freeze/
[33] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/
[34] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/declaring-a-national-emergency-at-the-southern-border-of-the-united-states/
[35] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/clarifying-the-militarys-role-in-protecting-the-territorial-integrity-of-the-united-states/
[36] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trump-starts-immigration-crackdown-enlisting-the-military-and-testing-the-law.html
[37] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Trump could... be down on the fairway and a sudden gust of wind causes a golf ball in flight to change direction and hit him right on the head. A MAGA hat does not offer much protection, and he ends up dazed and concussed.
Now he has turned into a born-again environmentalist, and rejoins Paris climate treaty, reverses the drilling etc
Joke alert yes, but if you don't think there's plans to 25th him if he stops being pliable to the guys who paid for him you're in for a rude shock.
Prepare for paused wind projects
I expect a great deal more wind. Just a shame it will go unharnessed.
Of course, the safety of people is less important than the profits of the richest man in the world..
When will maga trumps realise what they've done?
Never. One of the characteristics of MAGA is never accept responsibility for their own actions but being very vigilant for opportunities to blame others.
Somehow it'll be Biden's fault.
Of course, the safety of people is less important than the profits of the richest man in the world..
I assume you mean Musk, the second richest man in the world? The same Musk who owns Tesla? Who exclusively make EVs, along with solar tiles (allegedly) and battery packs for business and pleasure? So the Musk that stands to lose money with the EV mandate being lifted, and all the greenwash rolled back?
May be we'll see Tesla producing an ICE vehicle
uneducated moves
Some of these undo's are just plain stupid and it's obvious he's an uneducated dimwit who thinks out of the wrong end. It's not just a CTRL-Z it's more of a CTRL-ALT-DELETE.
Re: uneducated moves
I rather get the feeling that Trump's entire plan was to wing it to becoming President so that he can simply fuck with everyone for the lulz.
scrapped the goal of transitioning half of passenger vehicles into zero-emissions vehicles
Hey Elon! I scrapped some government subsidies! This spending cuts idea of yours was really great! All the environmental crap like electric cars we don't want any more! What do you mean "not THAT spending"? What share price is going down?
Stupid in
Stupid out.
What is interesting is the economics behind it all
Trump clearly has been given a heads up that the scam of making everyone use USD for international trade and thus need USD reserves is up, which has implications for the national debt. You can tell when that was: he immediately warned Europe to continue trading internationally in USD 'or else' (if you want to know which will replace it, think 'cheap ways to produce energy' and keep an eye out what is about to happen this and next year- and their currency is also accepted by the World Bank as a reserve currency).
Long story short: this gang of crooks actually knows the game is up, so expect the next 4 years to be mainly asset stripping and capital flight, which is also why they went full tilt for every crypto scam they could come up with. Give it two to four years, and none of this will still be at the value it is now (if any at all) because while the pumped up value is high, these people will quietly get rid of their holdings and leave whoever was dumb enough to go for this scam holding the bag - if you want to play that game, play it now and bail the very second the price goes flat. Also expect massive purchases abroad as a means to pump capital out of the US because when this show collapses it will be ugly, with the man in the street once again being the victim. I think it will be as big as when the bubble burst in the Japanese economy. Heck, they may even start a few wars because nothing converts tax money into private assets with no awkward questions asked faster.
I'm not sure four years is enough to rob the place blind, but I'm certain they will try. If you are not in the US, be very, very aware of leveraged buyouts by any entity with US connections because the US part of leveraged assets may lose their value overnight, resulting in a chain of failure.
I feel sorry for the US and I hope I am wrong, but I do not find the signs encouraging because the current administration can after one day already be summed up in two words:
"Crime pays"
Re: What is interesting is the economics behind it all
Yeah, I'm confident of two things over the next four years.
1. The real terms value of the US national debt will balloon.
2. Iff there any benefit accrued from this, you'll have to be a multi-millionaire to see it. (But, hey, you "owned the libs"; just don't spend that warm emotional glow all at once.)
Re: What is interesting is the economics behind it all
Safe bet - you can say those 2 things about every administration in the last couple of decades.
The only thing that varies slightly is which group of squillionaires get to line their pockets the most...
Re: What is interesting is the economics behind it all
The crypto thing is interesting, it seems a pretty obvious way to funnel dark money to trump and his co-conspirators, I watch with interest as the Blockchain forensic experts dig in.
So far so good.
Ya think?
He's pardoned people who tried to mount an insurrection against their own government and just signed away the birthright of citizenship. Say what you want about immigrants and their children, but the constitution is pretty damn clear, and I don't think any amount of executive ordering can arbitrarily amend the constitution (guess what, there's even an amendment spelling out the correct way to change it, and willy waving ain't it).
Beast is a Russian/ Chinese troll.
Beast admires Mel Gibson because he admires "people who know" about the Jews.
the Republican platform only saying that the party supports "AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing."
An AI that is rooted in free speech is going to be a right wing bigot, they have tried this before and its always a terrible idea. But heck maybe Elon 'Nazi Salute' Musk can create a free speech AI for Trump which can generate policy ideas for the Republican party for the next 4 years. As its probably going to come up with better ones than Trump does.
What the hell is "free speech" when applied to a mindless machine with a tendency towards spewing insipid bollocks?
Somebody might want to remind these twats that "free speech" does not absolve one of the consequences of saying things. You know, libel/slander, hate speech, antisemitism, threatening acts of terror, blah blah bloody blah.
What the hell is "human flourishing"? Oxford defines the second word as "developing rapidly and successfully". One of those applies to AI. One.
If Biden was smart
He would have put into action some executive orders that were the opposite of what he wants to happen, so that when Trump reflexively reverses them he'd get what wants.
Fuck donald trump and the republicans and the billionaire donors. There is no hope left for me.
What could possssibly go wrong? Not that it matters to him unless a complete sewage works gets into the ventilation very quickly. He'll be gone and it will all be SEP.