Trump's allies are working on a plan to create 'Manhattan Projects' for AI military tech: report

According to The Washington Post, several people close to the former president are writing up an AI executive order to advance US interests in AI.

• Trump allies are reportedly drafting plans for an executive order on AI.
• The order could lead to "Manhattan Projects" for AI military tech, according to The Washington Post.
• Agencies will be created to study AI models and protect them from foreign powers, the report said.

Donald Trump's allies are believed to be drafting plans to create "Manhattan Projects" that will develop AI military technology and review regulations put in place by President Joe Biden.

According to The Washington Post, several people close to the former president are writing up an AI executive order to advance US interests in the technology.

It will include the creation of industry-led agencies that will study AI models and protect them from foreign powers, the report said.

The Post noted that the framework also contains a section called "Make America First in AI," which aligns with the 2016 Trump Administration's commitment to "strengthening American leadership" in the field.

Trump's former chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, who now heads the America First Policy Institute, is believed to be involved in the plans.

If such plans go ahead, they will likely benefit the former president's tech donors, including Tesla billionaire Elon Musk.

Musk endorsed Trump in July following the assassination attempt on the former president. Soon after, it was reported he would donate $45 million to a new super PAC called America PAC, which has garnered support from others in Silicon Valley.

Republicans have previously pledged to repeal Biden's executive order on artificial intelligence.

The order demands that major tech companies communicate the risks of their AI models with the federal government. It also limits the government's use of AI systems in high-risk situations and includes programs to study potentially harmful AI healthcare practices.

"We will repeal Joe Biden's dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology," the GOP platform says. "In its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing."

Hilton Beckham, spokeswoman for the America First Policy Institute said in a statement to the Post that the document does not represent the organization's "official position", and must not be taken as representing the views of the Republican Party either.

In 2019, the Trump Administration established the American AI Initiative via Executive Order 13859, which aimed to "develop and implement an action plan, to protect the advantage of the United States in AI and technology critical to United States economic and national security interests against strategic competitors and foreign adversaries."

The order also directed officials, including the Secretary of Defense, to "prioritize the allocation of high-performance computing resources for AI-related applications."

Representatives for Larry Kudlow and Donald Trump did not immediately reply to a request by Business Insider for comment.