On July 23, 2025, the White House released its AI Action plan outlining more than 90 federal actions to advance U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The plan, titled “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan,” introduced alongside a redesigned AI.gov portal, focuses on developing AI as a cornerstone of both U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

Created as a call to win the “global AI race,” the plan emphasizes deregulation, infrastructure expansion, and international tech diplomacy, aiming to accelerate deployment, reduce barriers, and promote American-made AI tools abroad. For economic developers, the roadmap signals significant upcoming activity in areas ranging from site permitting and workforce development to technology exports and federal contracting.

Deregulation: Scaling Back Barriers to Speed Innovation

A major component of the plan is regulatory rollback. The White House has directed federal agencies to identify and eliminate regulations deemed to slow AI growth, such as certain environmental permitting requirements and restrictions on advanced chip exports. The Office of Management and Budget will lead a review to repeal rules that slow AI deployment, while agencies are instructed to ensure that federal funding is not directed to states that impose “burdensome AI regulations.” 

The Federal Communications Commission will also assess whether state-level AI laws interfere with federal jurisdiction, and the Federal Trade Commission has been tasked with reevaluating past investigations involving AI companies. Notably, new guidance for federal procurement will require agencies to contract only with developers of large language models (LLMs) that are deemed “objective and free from top-down ideological bias.”

Infrastructure Expansion

The action plan outlines a concerted effort to speed the development of physical infrastructure needed to support advanced AI systems—especially data centers and semiconductor fabrication facilities (chip fabs). It recommends the use of new categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to streamline permitting, as well as revisions to environmental review processes under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and CERCLA (Superfund law).

Agencies managing large portfolios of federal land—such as the Department of the Interior—are expected to identify and make sites available for AI-related construction. The plan also launches new national workforce initiatives to address shortages in technical trades critical to this effort, including electricians, HVAC technicians, and construction workers.

These changes could create near-term opportunities for communities that can offer competitive locations for AI infrastructure, as well as new partnerships around workforce development and infrastructure siting.

AI International Engagement

International engagement is the third pillar of the plan. The White House calls for the creation of full-stack AI export packages—integrating hardware, software, and governance standards—to be promoted to allied countries. This effort will be led by the Departments of Commerce and State, and supported by agencies like the Export–Import Bank.

The policy also outlines potential new export controls and recommends tools to ensure advanced chips are not used in countries of concern. At the same time, U.S. officials will advocate for AI governance models in international forums that reflect democratic values and promote innovation. Institutions such as the United Nations, G7, G20, OECD, and the International Telecommunication Union are named as key venues for shaping global AI norms.

New AI Executive Orders

To kickstart the implementation of the plan, President Trump signed three executive orders on July 23, each targeting a core component of the policy:

• Executive Order on Accelerating the Deployment of AI Infrastructure: Streamlines permitting and authorizes incentives for AI infrastructure projects on federal land, removing prior environmental or DEI-linked barriers to development.
• Executive Order on Promoting the Export of American AI Technology: Launches the American AI Exports Program, directing diplomatic and trade resources to promote U.S. AI systems globally.
• Executive Order on Ensuring Unbiased Use of AI in the Federal Government: Mandates that federal agencies use AI systems that meet new standards for neutrality, transparency, and ideological independence, and revisits prior oversight mechanisms viewed as overly restrictive.

What It Could Mean for Economic Developers

The AI Action Plan represents a broad federal mobilization that could influence everything from federal funding flows and procurement standards to infrastructure siting and international commerce. For economic development professionals, this creates a range of new considerations:

• Infrastructure-ready communities could see new demand for industrial sites with energy capacity and regulatory flexibility. 
• Workforce development partnerships will be essential to meet the labor needs of AI infrastructure expansion. Developers will need to consider how to leverage AI workforce upskilling across a broad section of their community to ensure certain people and places aren’t left behind.
• Public-private collaborations on AI governance and exports may grow, particularly in regions with strong research or manufacturing ecosystems.
• Federal funding opportunities and contract eligibility could shift based on state-level AI policies and vendor compliance with neutrality standards.

As the administration moves to quickly implement the plan’s many provisions, IEDC will continue to provide timely updates as additional guidance or announcements are made.