Unlike his first term, President Trump declared from the outset of his second term campaign his intention to announce a distinctly different AI policy from that of the preceding Biden administration, and on his inauguration day of January 23, 2025, revoked the Biden administration's AI executive order within a matter of hours. On the same day, President Trump issued Executive Order 14179, "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence," emphasizing the continuation and reinforcement of American global AI dominance. The executive order directed the preparation of a comprehensive national AI action plan within 180 days, and on July 23, 2025, the AI Action Plan and three accompanying executive orders were announced and signed.

The AI Action Plan and the three executive orders not only sharpen the distinction from the preceding Biden administration but also reflect certain differences from the policies of Trump's first term. The three foundational strategic pillars of the Action Plan, namely accelerating AI infrastructure innovation, building infrastructure, and leading international AI diplomacy and security, bear similarity to existing United States strategy, but differ considerably with respect to specific implementation tasks. In contrast to the previous posture of maintaining a delicate balance between deregulation and AI safety, the Action Plan explicitly prioritizes industry, pursuing deregulation as an instrument of innovation. It also establishes considerably detailed plans for data centers and power grids as part of efforts to build core AI infrastructure. With respect to international AI diplomacy and security in particular, the plan maintains the existing policy of strengthening export controls on AI semiconductors while expanding the introduction of export controls on key subsystem components including software and materials. Notably, in contrast to the Trump administration's general aversion to global governance frameworks, it calls for an active role in building international AI governance that reflects American values, a posture that stands apart from the administration's broader orientation. The Action Plan and executive orders are assessed as a significant inflection point in transforming AI strategy from a matter of technology policy alone into a convergence of national security, economic growth, and political ideology.