News/Regulation
Trump eases water rules for AI data centers after tech lobbying push
The Trump administration has announced AI policy recommendations that include loosening Clean Water Act permitting for data centers, mirroring specific requests made earlier this year by Meta and the Data Center Coalition (DCC), a lobbying group representing tech giants like Google and Amazon Web Services. These environmental rollbacks are embedded within Trump's broader AI Action Plan, which aims to streamline regulatory processes that tech companies argue slow down critical infrastructure development. What you should know: The proposed changes target Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which governs how projects impact federally protected waters during construction. Current 404 permits for...
read Jul 25, 2025Democrats propose ban on AI pricing after Delta expands dynamic fares
Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban companies from using AI to charge different prices based on personal data surveillance, directly responding to Delta's announcement that it will expand AI-powered pricing to 20% of its fares by year-end. The Stop AI Price Gouging and Wage Fixing Act would allow customers and workers to sue companies for unfairly using AI to increase prices or decrease wages based on personal information like financial status, desperation levels, or demographics. What you should know: The proposed law targets what lawmakers call "surveillance-based" pricing and wage setting that exploits personal data to maximize corporate profits....
read Jul 24, 2025Trump plans to roll back FTC enforcement against AI companies
The Trump administration has signaled plans to roll back Federal Trade Commission enforcement actions against AI companies, potentially ending an era of regulatory oversight that protected consumers from deceptive and harmful AI technologies. This shift could accelerate AI deployment while reducing safeguards for accuracy, fairness, and consumer protection, fundamentally altering how AI companies are held accountable for their products. What you should know: The FTC under Biden chair Lina Khan took multiple enforcement actions against AI companies for misleading consumers and deploying harmful technologies. The agency fined Evolv, a security company, for lying about AI-powered security checkpoints that failed to...
read Jul 24, 2025Greene breaks with Trump on AI order, citing environmental concerns and old school states’ rights
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene broke ranks with President Trump on Thursday to oppose his artificial intelligence executive order, citing concerns about environmental impact and states' rights. The Georgia congresswoman's criticism marks another fracture between Trump and his MAGA base, as she warned the "rushed AI expansion" threatens federalism by withholding federal funding from states that regulate AI. What you should know: Trump's AI executive order aims to accelerate U.S. artificial intelligence development by making it easier to build data centers on federal lands and pressuring states to reduce regulations. The order threatens to withhold federal funding from AI projects...
read Jul 24, 2025Trump’s AI Action Plan prioritizes open-source models, reshapes government tech
President Donald Trump signed the AI Action Plan, establishing an "open-weight first" approach to artificial intelligence development that explicitly supports open-source AI models and removes regulatory barriers for government AI adoption. The plan signals a fundamental shift from the previous administration's cautious regulatory stance, potentially accelerating enterprise AI deployment while creating new compliance challenges for businesses working with federal agencies. What you should know: The Action Plan restructures how government agencies can contract with AI providers and sets clear priorities for American AI leadership. The plan removes references to misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion from National Institute of Standards...
read Jul 23, 2025Trump suspends environmental reviews to accelerate AI data center construction
Environmental advocates warned Wednesday that the AI data center boom is driving up electricity costs for consumers and increasing pollution, as the Trump administration unveiled executive orders to accelerate data center construction by suspending environmental reviews. The warnings came during an event organized by Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, as the White House released its "America's AI Action Plan," emphasizing the need to "Build, Baby, Build!" AI infrastructure without "radical climate dogma." What they're saying: Environmental attorneys highlighted how data centers are imposing costs on local communities without proper oversight. "Data centers are extremely power hungry and can put...
read Jul 23, 2025US and EU reject delays on AI regulations despite industry pushback
Major AI regulations on both sides of the Atlantic cleared significant hurdles in July, with the US defeating a proposed moratorium on state-level AI rules while the EU rejected calls to delay enforcement of its AI Act. These developments signal a decisive shift toward responsible AI innovation with stronger guardrails, fundamentally reshaping compliance strategies for companies operating in global markets. What you should know: The US federal mega bill became law on July 1 without a controversial 10-year moratorium that would have banned enforcement of state-level AI regulations. The moratorium was originally included due to AI tech companies' frustrations with...
read Jul 17, 2025Giving and taking: Microsoft launches four-billion-dollar social impact fund amid AI-driven layoffs
Microsoft has reportedly saved $500 million in call center costs through AI implementation while simultaneously laying off 9,000 employees in its third round of cuts, bringing total layoffs to 15,000 workers. This stark juxtaposition of AI-driven cost savings and mass workforce reduction highlights the accelerating displacement of human workers by artificial intelligence, raising urgent questions about job security and the need for regulatory protections in the tech industry. What you should know: Microsoft's chief commercial officer revealed that AI tools have dramatically improved productivity across multiple departments while reducing operational costs. AI has created over a third of the code...
read Jul 16, 202545 top European CEOs call for delay on EU AI regulations
The European Union's new Code of Conduct for AI use has faced widespread criticism from industry leaders, NGOs, and trade associations just two weeks before its enforcement deadline of August 2, 2025. The guidelines, designed to supplement the EU AI Act with practical compliance frameworks for general-purpose AI models, have been condemned as overly complex, bureaucratic, and potentially harmful to European competitiveness in the global AI race. What you should know: The General Purpose AI Code of Practice covers three key areas that AI providers must address to comply with EU regulations. The Transparency chapter provides templates for documenting AI...
read Jul 7, 2025Americans distrust AI and that could be good news
Americans harbor deep suspicions about artificial intelligence, and that skepticism might be exactly what the technology needs. Recent polling shows AI sentiment at -18%, placing it between fracking (-9%) and race-aware college admissions (-23%) in public opinion. While Americans worry about specific AI applications—self-driving cars poll at -18% and AI workplace surveillance at -46%—the technology remains a relatively minor concern in national political discourse. Many AI safety advocates dismiss public opinion as uninformed or reactionary, worried that populist backlash could lead to counterproductive regulation. However, this negative sentiment represents an underutilized force that could meaningfully slow unsafe AI development. Public...
read Jul 2, 2025A Working (AI) Man: DroneDeploy’s Safety tech spots construction violations with 95% accuracy
DroneDeploy has launched Safety AI, a generative AI tool that analyzes daily construction site imagery to identify OSHA safety violations with claimed 95% accuracy. The technology represents a significant advancement over traditional object detection methods, using visual language models to "reason" about safety conditions rather than simply recognizing objects like ladders or hard hats. Why this matters: Construction remains the most dangerous industry for fatal workplace accidents, with over 1,000 workers dying annually in the US from slips, trips, and falls—highlighting the urgent need for better safety monitoring solutions. How it works: Safety AI uses visual language models (VLMs) to...
read Jul 1, 2025Senate votes 99-1 to reject 10-year AI regulation ban
The U.S. Senate voted 99-1 on Tuesday to remove a provision from President Trump's budget bill that would have banned states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next 10 years. The last-minute elimination came after intense opposition from advocacy groups, lawmakers, and nearly 80,000 Americans who viewed the moratorium as dangerous federal overreach that would have left consumers without protection while offering no federal AI safeguards in return. What you should know: The defeated provision would have created a complete regulatory vacuum around AI at both state and federal levels. The ban offered no federal protections to replace state-level oversight,...
read Jul 1, 2025DoJ approves HPE’s $14B Juniper acquisition with wireless asset divestitures
The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks after reaching a settlement agreement that requires significant divestitures from HPE. The deal, which strengthens HPE's position in AI infrastructure and networking, will proceed under strict conditions designed to preserve competition in the enterprise wireless LAN market. What you should know: HPE must divest key wireless networking assets and license critical software to maintain market competition. HPE will sell its Instant On WLAN campus and branch network switching business, including all related assets, intellectual property, R&D personnel, and customer relationships to a DoJ-approved buyer...
read Jun 27, 2025IAG’s AI system cuts aircraft maintenance planning from weeks to minutes
International Airlines Group (IAG) has developed an in-house AI-powered Engine Optimisation System that dynamically reschedules aircraft engine maintenance by running millions of "what-if" scenarios daily. The system, initially implemented with Aer Lingus and set to roll out across IAG's other airlines by year's end, addresses the complex challenge of balancing regulatory requirements, parts availability, labor constraints, and operational continuity while potentially saving the industry millions in maintenance costs. What you should know: IAG's AI system transforms weeks of manual maintenance planning into minutes of automated optimization, helping airlines avoid costly Aircraft On Ground emergencies and passenger delays. The system was...
read Jun 27, 2025Trump secures China rare earth deal while escalating AI competition
President Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive orders that would dramatically escalate AI competition with China, despite having just resolved a months-long trade dispute over rare earth metals essential for AI development. The timing appears contradictory, as the White House is simultaneously securing critical AI resources from China while positioning the countries as locked in an "AI arms race." What happened: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced Thursday that China agreed to resume rare earth metal deliveries to the US following Trump's controversial "Liberation Day" tariffs from April. The deal was one of 10 trade agreements signed Tuesday after China...
read Jun 27, 2025Trump tax bill forces states to choose between AI rules and $42B in broadband
The Trump administration's proposed tax bill includes a provision that would ban states from enforcing AI regulations for 10 years, threatening to cut federal broadband funding for non-compliant states. This creates a stark choice for states between protecting residents from AI risks and securing billions in critical internet infrastructure funding, potentially leaving the country in a "dangerous regulatory vacuum" while federal AI policy remains undefined. What you should know: The Senate rule ties state AI regulation enforcement to federal broadband funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42 billion federal initiative that helps states build high-speed...
read Jun 27, 2025Global governments restrict DeepSeek AI over China data security fears
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has triggered a global regulatory backlash, with governments across multiple continents restricting or investigating the company's popular ChatGPT rival over data security and privacy concerns. The widespread scrutiny reflects growing international wariness about Chinese AI systems and their potential access to sensitive user information. DeepSeek gained international attention in January 2025 when it claimed to have developed an AI model capable of matching ChatGPT's performance at significantly lower costs. However, the company's own privacy policy reveals that it stores user data—including chat requests and uploaded files—on servers located in China, raising red flags for government officials...
read Jun 25, 202567% of EU businesses struggle to understand AI Act compliance
Tech lobbying group CCIA Europe, representing major companies including Alphabet, Meta, and Apple, has called on the European Union to pause implementation of the AI Act just weeks before critical provisions take effect. The request comes as more than two-thirds of European businesses report struggling to understand their responsibilities under the landmark legislation, raising concerns that rushed enforcement could stifle innovation across the continent. What you should know: Key provisions of the EU AI Act, including rules for general purpose AI models, are scheduled to apply on August 2, but critical implementation details remain unpublished. Some parts of the general...
read Jun 23, 2025Cruz’s AI regulation ban survives Senate vote despite GOP pushback
Senator Ted Cruz's proposal to penalize states that regulate artificial intelligence has survived a key procedural hurdle but faces significant Republican opposition and has been substantially weakened. The Senate parliamentarian ruled that Cruz's modified plan can move forward without requiring 60 votes, though the provision now only threatens to cut states off from a new $500 million AI fund rather than the entire $42 billion broadband deployment program. What you should know: Cruz's original proposal would have imposed a devastating 10-year moratorium on state AI laws by blocking access to federal broadband funding. The Texas senator initially wanted to make...
read Jun 19, 2025Eye in the stinky sky: AI drones detect methane leaks ahead of 2026 EPA rules
Percepto, a company specializing in autonomous inspection technology, has launched an AI-powered emission detection system that uses autonomous drones to identify methane leaks in real-time across major US oil-producing regions. The technology addresses growing regulatory pressure and operational challenges by making emissions tracking faster and more cost-effective for energy operators, particularly as new EPA rules take effect in 2026. How it works: The system combines autonomous drones with AI-powered analysis to detect methane emissions without human intervention. Drones fly scheduled missions capturing Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) video footage across oil and gas facilities. Percepto's AI algorithm analyzes the footage in...
read Jun 17, 2025Italy targets DeepSeek in 2nd regulatory probe over AI hallucination warnings
Italy's antitrust regulator AGCM has opened an investigation into Chinese AI startup DeepSeek for allegedly failing to adequately warn users about the risk of AI hallucinations in its responses. The probe represents the latest regulatory challenge for DeepSeek in Italy, following a February order from the country's data protection authority to block access to its chatbot over privacy concerns. What you should know: The Italian Competition and Market Authority (AGCM), which oversees both antitrust issues and consumer protection, is examining whether DeepSeek provides sufficient warnings about AI-generated misinformation. The regulator claims DeepSeek did not give users "sufficiently clear, immediate and...
read Jun 13, 2025Musk’s xAI runs 35 gas turbines without air permits for a year in regulatory loophole
Elon Musk's xAI data center in Memphis has been operating 35 methane gas turbines without federal air permits for nearly a year under a "temporary" exemption that allows up to 364 days of operation annually. The facility has drawn criticism for running without pollution controls that could reduce harmful emissions by 78%, with thermal imaging revealing more turbines active than city officials claimed. What you should know: The xAI facility exploits a regulatory loophole that exempts temporary sources from standard environmental permitting requirements. The 35 turbines emit NOx (nitrogen oxides, a harmful air pollutant) and other hazardous substances including formaldehyde...
read Jun 12, 2025Not allowed to regulate deepfakes? Pennsylvania penalizes fraudulent likeness amid proposed AI law moratorium
Pennsylvania's Senate unanimously passed legislation making it a crime to distribute deepfake AI images while misrepresenting them as authentic, expanding the state's forgery laws to include digitally-generated likenesses. However, the bill faces potential nullification from a federal budget provision that would ban states from enforcing AI regulations for the next decade, threatening Pennsylvania's entire slate of AI-related legislation. What you should know: The new bill would criminalize passing off deepfake images "with intent to defraud or injure anyone," building on last year's law that addressed AI-generated child pornography and non-consensual explicit material. In plain English: Deepfakes are AI-generated images that...
read Jun 7, 2025Senate Republicans threaten to cut broadband funds from states that regulate AI
Senate Republicans have revised their proposed 10-year ban on state AI regulations, now threatening to withhold federal broadband funding from states that regulate artificial intelligence instead of imposing an outright prohibition. The change represents an attempt to preserve the controversial provision while complying with Senate budget rules that require tax legislation to primarily address federal spending rather than policy mandates. What you should know: The revised approach uses federal funding as leverage rather than direct regulatory prohibition to achieve the same outcome. The original House version would have banned any current or future AI regulations by states for a decade....
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