WASHINGTON— The White House on Friday released a new national policy framework for artificial intelligence that urges Congress to take a light-touch approach to federal AI legislation while calling for stronger support for law enforcement efforts against AI-enabled fraud and scams, according to the White House and multiple news reports.
The framework also asks Congress to pass federal legislation that would preempt state AI laws the administration says create an overly burdensome patchwork for developers and deployers of the technology.
The Administration’s document, titled “National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence: Legislative Recommendations,” says Congress should “augment existing law enforcement efforts” to combat AI-enabled impersonation scams and fraud, particularly schemes targeting vulnerable populations such as seniors, according to the White House PDF. The framework also recommends Congress avoid creating a new standalone federal AI rulemaking body, instead relying on existing sector-specific regulators and agencies to oversee AI uses in their respective domains.
A central and likely controversial plank is the Administration’s push for Congress to override many state-level AI laws. According to the White House document and reporting by Reuters the Associated Press, the framework argues that AI development is inherently interstate and tied to national security and foreign policy, and therefore should be governed by a single national standard rather than a patchwork of state rules.
At the same time, the proposal says certain traditional state powers should remain intact, including generally applicable fraud and consumer-protection laws, land-use and zoning rules for infrastructure, and state rules governing how states themselves use AI in areas such as procurement and public services.
Beyond fraud and preemption, the framework also calls on Congress to address child safety, intellectual property disputes, workforce development, and the power demands tied to AI infrastructure, according to Reuters and AP. Reuters reported the White House wants lawmakers to support accelerated AI infrastructure buildout, including easier permitting for on-site and behind-the-meter power generation at data centers, while AP said the plan also emphasizes parental controls, protections against harmful content for minors, and a preference for courts—not Congress—to sort out many copyright disputes involving AI training.
The release is expected to intensify an already-heated debate in Washington over whether federal lawmakers should set one national AI standard or leave states room to move faster on guardrails. Reuters reported congressional Republicans have embraced the framework as a roadmap, while AP noted Democrats and some state-level advocates have criticized the approach for favoring innovation over stronger accountability.