Trump Scraps AI Executive Order After Industry Warnings

US President Donald Trump declined to sign a highly anticipated executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) after US industry leaders warned him that it could hinder the development of a key technology, The Washington Post reported, citing sources.

The Washington Post said technology industry leaders, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Meta (designated as extremist in Russia) founder Mark Zuckerberg, warned the US leader that "the administration’s new vetting system could inhibit development of a technology at the heart of the US economy."

Donald Trump decided not to sign the order after the White House had already sent out invitations to the leaders of top tech companies to attend a signing ceremony scheduled for Thursday afternoon local time, according to The Washington Post.

The US leader announced to reporters in the Oval Office that he was canceling the ceremony several hours before the event while some industry executives were already traveling to Washington for the signing. He said he made the decision because he "did not like" the draft of the order. Donald Trump said the measure "could have been a blocker" to AI development, which benefits the US economy.