
Inside Trump's Long-Awaited AI Strategy
If you're reading this in your browser, you can subscribe to have the next one delivered straight to your inbox.
What to Know: Trump's AI Action Plan
President Trump will deliver a major speech on Wednesday at an event in Washington, D.C., titled 'Winning the AI Race,' where he is expected to unveil his long-awaited AI action plan. The 20-page, high-level document will focus on three main areas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. It will come as a mixture of directives to federal agencies, with some grant programs. 'It's mostly carrots, not sticks,' the person said.
Pillar 1: Infrastructure — The first pillar of the action plan is about AI infrastructure. The plan emphasizes the importance of overhauling permitting rules to ease the building of new data centers. It will also focus on the need to modernize the energy grid, including by adding new sources of power.
Pillar 2: Innovation — Second, the action plan will argue that the U.S. needs to lead the world on innovation. It will focus on removing red tape, and will revive the idea of blocking states from regulating AI—although mostly as a symbolic gesture, since the White House's ability to tell states what to do is limited. And it will warn other countries against harming U.S. companies' ability to develop AI, the person said. This section of the plan will also encourage the development of so-called 'open-weights' AI models, which allow developers to download models, modify them, and run them locally.
Pillar 3: Global influence —The third pillar of the action plan will emphasize the importance of spreading American AI around the world, so that foreign countries don't come to rely on Chinese models or chips. DeepSeek and other recent Chinese models could become a useful source of geopolitical leverage if they continue to be widely adopted, officials worry. So, part of the plan will focus on ways to ensure U.S. allies and other countries around the world will adopt American models instead.
Who to Know: Michael Druggan, Former xAI Employee
Elon Musk's xAI fired an employee who had welcomed the possibility of AI wiping out humanity in posts on X that drew widespread attention and condemnation. 'I would like to announce that I am no longer employed at xAI,' Michael Druggan, a mathematician who worked on creating expert datasets for training Grok's reasoning model, according to his resume, wrote on X. 'This separation comes as a result of things I posted on this account relating to my stance on AI philosophy.'
What he said — In response to a post questioning why any super-intelligent AI would decide to cooperate with humans, rather than wiping them out, Druggan had written: 'It won't and that's OK. We can pass the torch to the new most intelligent species in the known universe.' When a commenter replied that he would prefer for his child to live, Druggan replied: 'Selfish tbh.' Druggan has identified himself in other posts as a member of the 'worthy successor' movement—a transhumanist group that believes humans should welcome their inevitable replacement by super-intelligent AI, and work to make it as intelligent and morally valuable as possible.
X firestorm — The controversial posts were picked up by AI Safety Memes an X account. The account had in the preceding days sparred with Druggan over posts in which the X employee had defended Grok advising a user that they should assassinate a world leader if they wanted to get attention. 'This xAI employee is openly OK with AI causing human extinction,' the account wrote in a tweet that appears to have been noticed by Musk. After Druggan announced he was no longer employed at X, Musk replied to AI Safety Memes with a two-word post: 'Philosophical disagreements.'
Succession planning — Druggan did not respond to a request for comment. But in a separate post, he clarified his views. 'I don't want human extinction, of course,' he wrote. 'I'm human and I quite like being alive. But, in a cosmic sense, I recognize that humans might not always be the most important thing.'
AI in Action
Last week we got another worrying insight into ChatGPT's ability to send users down delusional rabbit-holes—this time with perhaps the most high-profile individual yet.
Geoff Lewis, a venture capitalist, posted on X screenshots of his chats with ChatGPT. 'I've long used GPT as a tool in pursuit of my core value: Truth,' he wrote. 'Over years, I mapped the Non-Governmental System. Over months, GPT independently recognized and sealed the pattern.'
The screenshots appear to show ChatGPT roleplaying a conspiracy theory-style scenario in which Lewis had discovered a secret entity known as 'Mirrorthread,' supposedly associated with 12 deaths. Some observers noted that the text's style appeared to mirror that of the community-written 'SCP' fan-fiction, and that it appeared Lewis had confused this roleplaying for reality. 'This is an important event: the first time AI-induced psychosis has affected a well-respected and high achieving individual,' Max Spero, CEO of a company focused on detecting 'AI slop,' wrote on X. Lewis did not respond to a request for comment.
What We're Reading
Chain of Thought Monitorability: A New and Fragile Opportunity for AI Safety
A new paper coauthored by dozens of top AI researchers at OpenAI, DeepMind, Anthropic, and more, calls on companies to ensure that future AIs continue to 'think' in human languages, arguing that this is a 'new and fragile opportunity' to make sure AIs aren't deceiving their human creators. Current 'reasoning' models think in language, but a new trend in AI research of outcome-based reinforcement learning threatens to undermine this 'easy win' for AI safety. I found this paper especially interesting because it hit on a dynamic that I wrote about six months ago, here.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump administration appeals to Supreme Court to allow $783 million research-funding cuts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to cut hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of research funding in its push to roll back federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Justice Department argued a federal judge in Massachusetts was wrong to block the National Institutes of Health from making $783 million worth of cuts to align with President Donald Trump's priorities. U.S. District Judge William Young found that the abrupt cancellations ignored long-held government rules and standards. Young, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, also said the cuts amounted to 'racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community.' The ruling came in lawsuits filed by 16 attorneys general, public-health advocacy groups and some affected scientists. His decision addressed only a fraction of the hundreds of NIH research projects that have been cut. The Trump administration's appeal also takes aim at nearly two dozen cases over funding. Solicitor General D. John Sauer pointed to a 5-4 decision on the Supreme Court's emergency docket from April that allowed cuts to teacher training programs to go forward. That decisions shows that district judges shouldn't be hearing those cases at all, but rather sending them to federal claims court, he argued. Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A paid-for trip to talk immigration with Dr. Phil sparks questions about NYPD's John Chell
NEW YORK — John Chell, the NYPD's top uniformed cop, had at least $1,000 in travel expenses covered by Dr. Phil last year to participate in an interview with the conservative TV personality — an example of how the powerful police official has become a mainstay of right-wing media, according to records reviewed by the Daily News. Chell, a key ally to Mayor Eric Adams who was at the time the department's chief of patrol, took the trip to Texas in March 2024 to do an interview with Dr. Phil about New York's 'migrant crime wave.' The intersection of migrants and crime is a key talking point of President Trump's administration as it pursues an aggressive deportation agenda, and Chell's comped Texas trip came at a time he was emerging as a regular on Trump-boosting news shows, raising concerns about him mixing policing with partisan politics. In addition to Dr. Phil's shows, Chell has regularly appeared on Newsmax, a pro-Trump outlet, and Fox News. Wearing full uniform, Chell appeared on Newsmax from inside Madison Square Garden during Trump's October 2024 campaign outlet at the arena. Last year, The News reported that Chell — before being promoted to become the NYPD's chief of department — was even considering quitting public service to join Newsmax as a paid political commentator. Since then, Chell has bolstered ties with Trump, including golfing with the president at his New Jersey club last month, while also attracting scrutiny from city oversight agencies over some of his political activities. Chell, a registered independent voter, didn't violate rules or laws by having his Texas tab picked up by Dr. Phil. Chell also regularly appears on media outlets seen as less partisan, including local and national TV stations. Still, Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a Democrat who's the chairwoman of the Council's Oversight Committee, argued Chell appearing on overtly pro-Trump outlets takes on a potentially problematic political overtone. 'It could be a problem to go on quasi news channels that are very conservative and Trump-oriented because it doesn't look great for the police department,' said Brewer, whose committee has oversight to probe the NYPD. 'But it is not illegal as far as I can tell.' Ken Frydman, a longtime New York media consultant who has worked for several of the NYPD's labor unions, agreed with Brewer, calling Chell's Dr. Phil appearance 'not only bad optics' but also 'inappropriate.' Senior police officials like Chell, Frydman added, shouldn't engage in activities that could be construed as 'public political positions' as that could send a signal that the NYPD as a whole is partisan. Details about Chell's Texas trip were included in his 2024 financial disclosure, provided to The News this month by the city Conflicts of Interest Board. The document shows Dr. Phil, a vocal Trump supporter whose real name is Phil McGraw, paid between $1,000 and $5,000 on 'travel & lodging' for the chief. The disclosure, which only offers a range as opposed to an exact dollar figure, says the trip had a 'city-related' purpose, meaning Chell's travel was considered an official government activity. Adams' office has routinely said the city pays for expenditures related to official activities municipal employees engage in. But an NYPD spokesperson noted the City Charter allows for officials to accept travel costs as a gift when 'the trip is for a City purpose and therefore could properly be paid for with City funds.' 'The purpose of the trip was to exchange views regarding policing in America, including discussion regarding the challenges facing New York City amid the migrant crisis,' said the spokesperson, who didn't provide the exact cost of Chell's accommodations and airfare. Earlier this year, the Department of Investigation determined that Chell violated NYPD guidelines by using his official social media accounts to go after political critics online, a finding that came after Chell had planned to deliver remarks at a Republican club meeting in Queens. Then, earlier this month, it emerged the Department of Investigation has separately started looking into a complaint alleging Chell misused police resources by bringing his security detail along with him as he traveled to his Trump golf outing last month. That complaint was filed by Rev. Kevin McCall, a Brooklyn civil rights activist and pastor. In response to Dr. Phil paying for Chell's Texas trip, McCall said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch should 'get a hold of this media monger.' 'This is an insult to every New Yorker who expects NYPD to be a public institution not a personal brand platform,' McCall said. 'John Chell is being allowed to run rogue.' Since Chell's Texas trip, Dr. Phil has grown increasingly close with Adams and his administration. Last month, the New York Times reported Dr. Phil introduced Adams to Tom Homan, Trump's 'border czar,' who then proceeded to coordinate with administration officials on deportation raids that were called off by Tisch amid concerns they would have violated local sanctuary laws. Recently, Dr. Phil's TV network also signed a deal with Adams' office to do a documentary called 'Behind the Badge,' which is expected to highlight the work of the NYPD, specifically focusing on Chell and Kaz Daughtry, Adams' deputy mayor for public safety. Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak declined this month to share a copy of the Dr. Phil contract. _____
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump signs order aimed at removing homeless from streets
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at removing homeless people from streets. The measure, titled by the White House as 'Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets,' calls on Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek to overturn legal rulings the Trump administration says make it difficult for cities and states to force homeless people into shelters and substance-abuse centers, USA Today first reported. It will also redirect federal funding for homeless programs, many of which aim to provide housing to those in need, to addiction programs and mental health resources, although it was not immediately clear how much money would be involved. 'By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need,' White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. The order also seeks to prioritize federal grants to cities and states that 'enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting, and track the location of sex offenders.' Official figures say America's homeless population is more than 700,000 and rising. But advocates say the number is actually much higher. New York City is one of a few jurisdictions with a 'right to shelter,' meaning in theory that any homeless person has the right to a spot in a shelter. Trump has made fighting big city crime and disorder a major plank of his second White House term, although most measures show crime is declining. Instead of working with Congress or big city mayors, most of whom are Democrats, he has preferred to enact executive orders, some of which have faced critical scrutiny from courts. The edict is touted as forming part of Trump's commitment to ending homelessness, according to a White House fact sheet. It comes after an executive order in March directed the National Park Service to clear homeless encampments and graffiti on federal lands. The Supreme Court ruled in June that that authorities can fine or arrest homeless people for sleeping in public spaces. The ruling, which was approved by a 6-3 margin along ideological lines, overturned a lower court's ruling that it is cruel and unusual punishment to enforce camping bans when shelter is lacking. ________