White House Drafts Order Against Woke AI Models
President Trump's administration is drafting an executive order designed to combat so-called “woke” artificial intelligence (AI) models.
A Push for Politically Neutral AI
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the White House is authoring an executive order that would mandate political neutrality and a lack of bias for any technology company holding a federal contract. Sources indicate the primary goal is to address AI models the Trump administration perceives as being excessively liberal, although the specific criteria for this determination are not yet clear. The executive order is reportedly being written by key administration figures, including "AI Czar" David Sacks and the White House’s senior policy adviser for AI, Sriram Krishnan.
The Context of the Woke AI Controversy
The concept of "woke" AI has become a significant point of discussion in conservative circles. This debate gained widespread attention in early 2024 when Google's Gemini AI was criticized by some as "anti-white" for producing historically questionable images, such as a Black George Washington and ethnically diverse Nazi soldiers. This incident highlighted the perceived liberal leanings of certain AI models, which has evidently displeased members of the President's policy team.
Broad Implications for the Tech Industry
While the executive order might appear to have a narrow focus on federal contractors, its potential impact is extensive. Nearly every major technology company actively seeks federal funding or contracts, and securing them often depends on maintaining a favorable relationship with the current administration. Many of these companies have dedicated significant effort to making their AI models more inclusive, partly to counteract the historical erasure of minority groups. If this executive order is enacted, these diversity initiatives could be rolled back as companies pivot to comply. However, a significant challenge will be distinguishing between intentional "wokeness" and the inherent, often inexplicable errors that AI models are prone to making. Pinpointing which models are biased versus simply flawed will be a difficult undertaking.
The AI Arms Race and Economic Motivations
Beyond political ideology, the push to remove AI guardrails is also framed by economic and national security benefits. President Trump has emphasized the need for the U.S. to lead the global AI arms race against competitors like China. The administration believes that victory requires U.S. tech companies to prioritize speed and power over concerns about inclusivity, freeing up resources to focus on core performance.
Potential Winners and the Future of AI Ethics
This reported executive order could pave the way for certain AI models to gain favor with the federal government. Elon Musk’s xAI and its Grok chatbot, which is marketed as an "anti-woke" alternative, could become a more attractive partner. As the WSJ notes, Grok has faced its own controversies, but its philosophical alignment with the administration's stated goals may give it an advantage.
It is still unclear how this executive order will affect the many companies that have made ethical development a cornerstone of their AI strategy, including firms like Adobe, Google, and OpenAI. With substantial government funding at stake, AI companies may soon have to weigh their commitment to preventing harmful content against the financial incentive to secure a piece of the federal pie.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
