White House Seeks Public Comment on U.S. AI Strategy

On February 6, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a Request for Information (RFI)  in the Federal Register seeking public comments on the development of the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan. The Trump Administration’s request reflects the Trump administration’s policy framework prioritizing AI leadership and reducing regulatory barriers to development.

President Trump’s Executive Order on AI (AI EO), signed on January 23, 2025, revoked former President Biden’s executive order on AI, and directed his AI and technology advisors to develop, within 180 days, an AI Action Plan “to sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance.” President Biden’s October 2023 Executive Order 14110, “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.”  was perceived by some as imposing burdensome government requirements that restricted private sector AI development and deployment.

The Trump AI Action Plan “will define the priority policy actions needed to sustain and enhance America’s AI dominance, and to ensure that unnecessarily burdensome requirements do not hamper private sector AI innovation,” the RFI says, Per the Trump AI EO, the new policy direction is intended “to sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.”

Through this RFI, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks input from the public, including from academia, industry groups, private sector organizations, state, local, and tribal governments, and any other interested parties, on priority actions that should be included in the Plan.

The RFI seeks comments on any AI topic, but it specifically mentions data centers, hardware and chips, open-source development, and procurement, intellectual property, technical and safety standards, explainability and assurance of AI model outputs, energy consumption and efficiency, risks, regulation and governance, and technical and safety standards, among others, as topics of interest. Respondents are encouraged to suggest concrete AI policy actions needed to address the topics raised.

The request for information, available through the Federal Register’s website, runs through March 15, 2025. Submissions are limited to 15 pages. Agencies or their clients interested in macro-level, future U.S. AI strategy and development should consider submitting their insights here. The RFI is intended to offer stakeholders the opportunity to shape the conversation and influence U.S. policy.

Key comment areas that are expected to trend in stakeholder comments include: 

• We should expect to see commenters speak to how the U.S. should respond to Chinese AI competition in light of GenAI newcomer DeepSeek.
• Stakeholders, particularly multinational corporations operating under both U.S. and EU jurisdictions, are likely to draw comparisons between EU-specific AI legislation and U.S. policy, creating a clear benchmark for evaluation. Conversations around the necessity for interoperability and regulatory alignment will gain traction, given the current geopolitical landscape.
• Questions of federal preemption and the interplay between federal AI policy and new emerging state AI legislation are expected.
• Commenters will discuss whether they support or oppose the Administration’s strong deregulatory approach to AI development and deployment.

Have questions about the RFI on the federal AI Action plan? Please contact Alison Pepper, 4As EVP, Government Relations & Sustainability.