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ACLU Comment on Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan | American Civil Liberties Union
webCivil liberties perspective on U.S. federal AI policy; useful for understanding non-technical stakeholder concerns about AI governance, particularly around government use of AI and algorithmic discrimination risks.
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Importance: 35/100press releasecommentary
Summary
The ACLU responds to the Trump administration's AI Action Plan, raising civil liberties concerns about AI deployment by government and law enforcement without adequate safeguards. The statement emphasizes the need for transparency, accountability, and protections against discriminatory AI use. It advocates for rights-protective AI governance frameworks rather than purely innovation-focused policy.
Key Points
- •ACLU warns that AI Action Plan prioritizes innovation and competitiveness over civil rights and civil liberties protections
- •Raises concerns about AI use in surveillance, law enforcement, immigration enforcement, and benefits determination
- •Calls for transparency requirements, independent oversight, and meaningful accountability mechanisms for government AI use
- •Highlights risks of algorithmic discrimination against marginalized communities without proper safeguards
- •Argues that strong civil liberties protections and responsible AI development are complementary, not contradictory
1 FactBase fact citing this source
| Entity | Property | Value | As Of |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) | policy-position | Formally opposed Trump administration AI Action Plan for thwarting state-level AI protections | Jul 2025 |
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ACLU Comment on Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan | American Civil Liberties Union
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ACLU Comment on Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan
Plan thwarts the will of Congress and endangers civil rights
July 23, 2025 1:05 pm
Spokesperson
Cody Venzke ›
Former Senior Policy Counsel
ACLU National Political Advocacy Division
Media Contact
media@aclu.org
(212) 549-2666
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York,
NY
10004
United States
WASHINGTON — Today, the Trump administration released a sweeping AI Action Plan, which thwarts the decision of Congress to not preempt state laws and is a dangerous step backward for protecting civil rights and civil liberties against artificial intelligence (AI) use. The plan, titled “ Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan ,” pushes a political agenda at the expense of everyone’s right to robust protection from biased and erroneous AI tools, and disproportionately harms the communities most at risk of algorithmic discrimination.
In response, Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement:
“President Trump’s attempt to restrict state AI regulations is not only harmful, it raises serious legal questions as the president is acting beyond any statute passed by Congress. Congress overwhelmingly rejected this approach, removing it from a major bill in a 99-1 Senate vote, and 17 Republican governors publicly opposed it.
“Now the administration is moving forward unilaterally. The plan undermines state authority by directing the Federal Communications Commission to review and potentially override state AI laws, while cutting off ‘AI-related’ federal funding to states that adopt robust protections. This preemption effort stifles local initiatives to uphold civil rights and shield communities from biased AI systems in areas like employment, education, health care, and policing.
“The plan also directs revisions to the federal AI Risk Management Framework to eliminate any mention of diversity, equity, and inclusion, misinformation, or climate. These changes could preclude AI developers from considering discriminatory and unfair harms, potentially dismantling some of the only existing safeguards meant to prevent AI from reproducing or exacerbating existing societal bias. Additional provisions mandating that federal contractors only provide systems that are ‘free from top-down ideological bias’ may have downstream impacts on free speech, potentially censoring how AI can talk about race, gender, climate, or inequality.
“We urge the administration to immediately rescind these harmful and unlawful actions and ensure that states and the federal government have robust AI safeguards in place.”
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