President Donald Trump's first executive action in his second term marks a significant shift in federal AI oversight, as he revoked predecessor Joe Biden's 2023 executive order that had established a framework for AI governance in healthcare and other sectors.
The rescinded order had tasked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with creating a dedicated safety program to oversee AI deployment in healthcare, public health, and human services. This program would have enabled HHS to monitor and address potential harms and unsafe practices involving AI in healthcare settings.
A key component of Biden's original order was the creation of an HHS AI Task Force, which was meant to develop strategic policies for responsible AI deployment across healthcare delivery, drug and device safety, research, and public health. The order also required advanced AI system developers to share safety test results with the federal government and established a pilot National AI Research Resource to support smaller developers and entrepreneurs.
"The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government," states Trump's new executive order, which rescinds 67 Biden-era executive orders and 11 Presidential Memoranda.
This policy reversal comes amid ongoing discussions about AI regulation in healthcare. The U.S. Bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence recently acknowledged AI's potential to reduce administrative burdens and accelerate drug development and clinical diagnosis, while noting concerns about data standardization and system interoperability.
The FDA has also weighed in on AI regulation, advocating for coordinated oversight across regulated industries and international organizations. This domestic policy shift contrasts with international developments, such as the European Union's AI Act, which took effect in August 2024, establishing comprehensive regulations for AI development and implementation.
The original Biden order had recognized AI's dual nature in healthcare, acknowledging its potential to advance care delivery while noting that the technology "raises the risk of injuring, misleading or otherwise harming Americans." Trump's new directive, titled "Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions," states its aim is "to restore common sense to the Federal Government and unleash the potential of the American citizen."
Click here for the original news story.