WASHINGTON (US News): President Donald Trump signed a major executive order on Monday aimed at cementing American leadership in artificial intelligence by removing regulatory obstacles and prioritizing federal resources for AI research, deployment, and workforce training.
The order, titled “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” directs every federal agency to review and repeal regulations that hinder AI innovation within six months. It also establishes a new White House task force to coordinate funding and set national priorities for the rapidly evolving technology.
“We are putting America first in the global AI race,” Trump said during a Rose Garden ceremony attended by tech executives and university presidents. “China wants to dominate this field, but they will not do it on my watch. We are unleashing our best minds and cutting the red tape that has held them back for too long.”
The directive has immediate implications for Illinois, home to one of the nation’s fastest-growing AI ecosystems anchored by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Argonne National Laboratory, and a rising cluster of startups and corporate research centers in Chicago.
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Officials at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity welcomed the move, noting that streamlined federal rules could unlock additional funding for projects already underway at Argonne, where scientists use supercomputers and AI to advance energy, climate modeling, and materials science research.
In central Illinois, manufacturing giants such as Caterpillar and John Deere have invested heavily in AI-driven predictive maintenance and autonomous equipment. Industry leaders say the order will speed up approvals for deploying advanced systems on factory floors and farm fields.
“Anything that reduces regulatory uncertainty helps us move faster,” said Ryan McAllister, vice president of digital operations at Caterpillar’s Peoria headquarters. “We’re already using AI to predict when a bulldozer halfway around the world needs service before it breaks down. This executive order will let us scale those solutions even quicker.”
The order also calls for expanded training programs to prepare workers for AI-related jobs, with an emphasis on community colleges and apprenticeship models. In Chicago, officials at City Colleges of Chicago said they are ready to partner with federal agencies to create new certification tracks in machine learning and data analytics.
Democratic Governor JB Pritzker issued a cautious statement, praising the focus on innovation while stressing the need for ethical safeguards. “Illinois is proud to be a national leader in responsible AI development,” Pritzker said. “We will work with the administration to ensure this technology creates opportunity for all of our residents and does not leave workers behind.”
Labor organizations expressed concern that rapid deregulation could lead to job losses in administrative and clerical fields. The Illinois AFL-CIO called for stronger commitments to retraining programs and warned against “rushing headlong into automation without a plan for displaced workers.”
White House officials countered that the order explicitly directs the Department of Labor to develop “high-quality, scalable reskilling initiatives” targeted at communities most affected by technological change.
The executive action builds on earlier Trump administration efforts to promote emerging technologies and marks the most comprehensive federal AI policy to date. Administration sources say additional guidance on implementation will be released in the coming weeks.
For Illinois businesses, researchers, and workers, the order represents both opportunity and a call to adapt quickly in a state already positioning itself at the forefront of America’s AI future.
