From WIRED · Steven Levy · · 2m
Trump's anti-woke AI order is just more bias
The administration claims to fight ideological bias in AI while imposing its own political agenda through government contracts.
In brief
The administration claims to fight ideological bias in AI while imposing its own political agenda through government contracts. Trump's executive order banning ideological bias in AI is itself a form of top-down ideological control, using federal procurement to enforce the White House's interpretation of truth…
Quick answers
- Truth according to whom?
- The plan demands AI systems reflect truth rather than social engineering agendas, but doesn't define who decides what's true or what counts as social engineering.
- What is the key takeaway from Trump's anti-woke AI order is just more bias?
- Trump's executive order banning ideological bias in AI is itself a form of top-down ideological control, using federal procurement to enforce the White House's interpretation of truth.
The double-edged sword of AI
AI models can be tweaked to minimize bias or enforce a specific point of view. Governments could demand manipulation to censor facts and promote propaganda.
Trump's AI manifesto arrives
The Trump administration released a 28-page AI action plan focused on beating China in AI supremacy, but one section mirrors China's approach to controlling AI outputs.
Truth according to whom?
The plan demands AI systems reflect truth rather than social engineering agendas, but doesn't define who decides what's true or what counts as social engineering.
“truth according to whom?”
Eliminating inconvenient topics
The order instructs the Department of Commerce to eliminate references to misinformation, diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change from Biden-era AI rules.
The woke AI executive order
Trump signed an order banning woke AI in federal government, declaring the government won't procure models that sacrifice truthfulness to ideological agendas.
“The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models”
Backdoor control through contracts
Since major AI companies court government contracts, the order appears designed to ensure LLMs show loyalty to the White House's interpretation of history and identity issues.
Irony alert: bias fighting bias
Trump's executive order banning top-down ideological bias is itself a blatant exercise in top-down ideological bias, demonizing AI that supports diversity or calls out racial bias.
Tech companies stay silent
Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI have not publicly objected to the order, despite it potentially violating their First Amendment rights to exercise freedom of expression.
A sweetheart deal for Big Tech
The AI Action Plan is a bonanza for companies: it allows them to bypass environmental objections for data centers and pledges research support flowing to the private sector.
AI becomes the propaganda tool
As AI becomes the primary medium for news and information, government control over its outputs threatens a founding principle: independence of information channels from state interference.
Making ChatGPT sound like Fox
Senator Edward Markey warned the order creates financial incentives for Big Tech to ensure AI chatbots don't produce speech that upsets the Trump administration.
“Republicans want to use the power of the government to make ChatGPT sound like Fox & Friends”
The takeaway
Trump's executive order banning ideological bias in AI is itself a form of top-down ideological control, using federal procurement to enforce the White House's interpretation of truth.
