Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Woke AI in Federal Government

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order requiring tech companies to prove their artificial intelligence chatbots are not "woke" to be eligible for federal government use, marking the first time the U.S. government has explicitly sought to shape the ideological behavior of AI. This directive, part of Trump's broader AI plan aimed at countering China's global dominance, pushes the tech industry into a culture war by effectively banning AI models that incorporate progressive frameworks like DEI or critical race theory unless specifically requested. The order has sparked concern among civil rights advocates and former administration officials who warn it forces companies to abandon efforts to address racial and gender bias baked into AI systems, which reflect the biases of their training data. While the broader AI initiative includes measures to cut regulations and promote American values, the anti-woke mandate introduces political criteria into government AI procurement, complicating compliance for tech firms. Major AI providers such as Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot have remained silent amid a study period before the directive becomes official procurement policy. Critics highlight the challenge in molding AI behavior due to the inherent randomness of large language models trained on vast internet data, emphasizing that "woke AI" is a misnomer and that AI technology can either discriminate or work equitably for all people.