The Trump administration has launched an ambitious “AI Genesis Mission” through an executive order, positioning David Sacks, the White House’s first-ever AI and crypto czar, as the central figure driving a fundamentally different approach to artificial intelligence development and regulation.
A Silicon Valley Veteran Takes the Helm
Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and technologist, represents a significant departure from previous AI policy leadership. In his new role, Sacks has articulated a clear vision: the federal government must act as a “bridge between Silicon Valley and Washington” to inject innovation-focused perspectives into policymaking rather than imposing traditional regulatory constraints.
His core message is unambiguous—the private sector needs latitude to innovate and compete globally without excessive government interference. “We’ve got to let the private sector cook,” Sacks stated, emphasizing that Washington’s traditional instinct to control and regulate represents a losing strategy in the race for AI dominance.
Dismantling Biden-Era Regulations
One of the administration’s first actions under Sacks’ influence was rescinding the Biden administration’s AI executive order, which the AI czar characterized as “100 pages of unnecessary burdensome regulation” on American AI companies. This move signals a wholesale reversal of the previous administration’s precautionary approach to AI governance.
Additionally, the Trump administration has targeted diffusion restrictions, which Sacks argues wrongly stigmatized the spreading of AI technology. According to Sacks, technology diffusion is essential for establishing American dominance in the global market, much as internet diffusion created American technological supremacy decades ago.
The China Competition Factor
The urgency behind the Genesis Mission stems from intense competition with China. Sacks estimates that China is three to six months behind the United States in AI development, describing it as a “very close race” with significant geopolitical implications. He has warned that losing the AI race could fundamentally alter the global balance of power in unfavorable ways for the United States.
The administration’s strategy balances security concerns—particularly preventing advanced semiconductors from reaching global adversaries—with the need to maximize American technology’s global market share. Sacks has outlined a success metric: if American technology represents 80% of global compute within five years, the U.S. will have won the competition.
State-Level Regulatory Obstacles
A persistent challenge facing the Genesis Mission is the proliferation of state-level AI regulations. Sacks has cited estimates of approximately 1,000 AI bills making their way through state legislatures, which he views as “fear-mongering” that could “kill these things in the cradle.”
The White House has already begun circulating draft executive orders to target and potentially preempt state AI laws, attempting to establish a unified federal approach that prioritizes innovation over precautionary regulation.
Looking Forward
With the administration just surpassing its first 100 days, Sacks believes “meaningful progress” has been made in reducing regulatory burden. The Genesis Mission represents a deliberate pivot toward treating AI development as a competitive race rather than a technology requiring careful guardrails. Whether this deregulation-focused approach achieves its stated goals of American technological dominance while maintaining necessary security protections remains a central question for the coming years.