Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Staff / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/Contributor
Donald Trump's tech plans are... interesting.
The Donald is back, and with Donald Trump beating Kamala Harris in the 2024 American election, the controversial business magnate is already teasing his grand plans for the next four years.
Trump is sure to waste no time getting his feet back under the table, shocking audiences in Iowa when he referred to himself as 'dictator for the day' if he got back into power. Alongside threats of mass deportation, pardoning those involved in the January 6 riots, and dismissing the special counsel who brought federal cases against him, Trump has vowed to undo much of the work put in place by the Biden administration.
Trump plans to power ahead with his 'drill, baby drill' slogan, trying to end a dependence on renewable energy initiatives. Away from his love of Bitcoin, the former (and next) POTUS is looking even further into the future with some polarizing views on tech.
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Earlier in 2024, The Washington Post reported on Trump's plans to 'Make America First in AI.' As soon as gaining office, Trump has plans to dismantle Biden's AI Executive Order that was enacted in October 2023.
Biden imposed tighter controls on overseeing artificial intelligence, establishing the US AI Safety Institute (AISI) and demanding that companies submit reports on AI training, security, and vulnerabilities.
Trump's supporters were particularly vocal on these issues, with Texas senator Ted Cruz branding the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI safety standards as 'woke.' Other Republicans said that harsher measures might discourage tech companies from trying to innovate with AI.
Trump is now planning several AI 'Manhattan Projects' for the military, and in case of a throwaway comment about making AI atomic bombs wasn't enough to make you worried, you only have to look at fears that AI could wipe mankind off the face of the Earth.
It's not all plain sailing for Trump's AI America, with Wedbush Securities' Dan Ives pointing out plans for a 10% tariff on US imports and a 60% tariff on Chinese products could disrupt the supply chain. Ives thinks that tech giants like Apple and Tesla could struggle, meaning Trump might actually slow the AI revolution.
After Elon Musk was accused of turning X (formerly Twitter) into a 'megaphone for MAGA,' he's poised to flourish. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO looks set to become one of Trump's right-hand men following talks about Musk being appointed as the head of a new department looking into government waste. We've already seen the tech giants bend the knee, with Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Apple's Tim Cook congratulating Trump on his win.
OpenAI's Sam Altman seems less happy, as alongside wishing Trump huge success, warned: "It is critically important that the US maintains its lead in developing AI with democratic values."
We all know that AI is likely the future, and for the next four years, Donald Trump is also a part of that future. To be honest, if we were going to promote technology but not worry the general population that it's going to eradicate them, we'd probably lose the atomic bomb references.
