Allies of Trump are contemplating intensifying their focus on AI research, with the aim of expanding its use in the military sector and overturning government restrictions on the technology that were implemented by the Biden administration in October 2023, according to a document obtained by the newspaper.
Greater military investment in AI could benefit tech companies that presently collaborate with the Pentagon, the newspaper continued, naming in particular Anduril, Palantir and Scale, and adding that executives at those companies support Trump.
Silicon Valley, once a Democratic Party stronghold, is now seeing a surge in support from the Republican camp, with a "significant chunk of the tech industry's money and power" now backing Trump, Axios reports.
Some US tech companies are expressing the belief that Trump will be more beneficial for startups and innovations than Biden. This is due to the fact that Biden signed an AI executive order in October 2023, introducing government oversight on the development of the technology. "To realize the promise of AI and avoid the risk, we need to govern this technology," Biden said prior to inking the policy.
The GOP is reportedly planning to repeal the order, saying it stifles innovation, according to the US mainstream press.
The conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, is also involved in drafting potentially new AI policies as part of Project 2025, as per WaPo. Project 2025 calls for boosting AI research in the US while limiting China's access to the technology. While the Biden administration and some US media are tying Trump to the think tank's blueprint, the former president has publicly distanced himself from the project.
The Trump team's apparent focus on AI and cooperation with Silicon Valley giants marks a change in the Republican nominee's approach towards Big Tech. The US press says the former president has been increasingly rubbing shoulders with tech powerhouses in recent weeks. In particular, he appeared on the "All-In Podcast" hosted by prominent tech investors, and then attended a fundraiser organized by former PayPal executive David Sacks, who is reportedly scheduled to speak on behalf of Trump at the convention in Milwaukee. For its part, Forbes calls Jacob Helberg, senior policy advisor to US defense contractor Palantir Technologies, "Trump's AI whisperer".
In the wake of the assassination attempt, many prominent tech executives have thrown their support behind Trump and endorsed him for the presidency. Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk tweeted: "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery."
Remarkably, Musk previously sounded concerned about the rapid growth of AI: "Probably none of us will have a job. If you want to do a job that's kinda like a hobby, you can do a job. But otherwise, AI and the robots will provide any goods and services that you want," he noted in May.
Commenting on WaPo's findings regarding the Trump team's apparent focus on AI, the Trump campaign emphasized that any policy statements should only be considered official if they originate directly from Trump himself or an authorized spokesperson for his campaign.