The White House Announces America’s AI Action Plan
July 23, 2025
The Trump Administration announced an ambitious Artificial Intelligence Action Plan that provides policy recommendations to achieve the goal of global AI dominance by the United States. Of particular interest to employers, the Action Plan includes recommendations to empower American workers in the age of AI, for training a skilled workforce for AI infrastructure, jobs, and developing new criteria to address misinformation, including specifically identifying DEI.
Overview of the Action Plan. As anticipated by Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, the White House issued Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan (the “Action Plan”) on July 23, 2025. The Action Plan sets forth the Administration’s policy recommendations based on the following three pillars: (1) acceleration of AI innovation; (2) building American AI infrastructure, and (3) leading in international AI diplomacy and security. Further, the Action Plan contemplates initiatives led by various federal agencies, including the Department of Labor (“DOL”), to promote the advancement and adoption of AI throughout all facets of American life.
Key initiatives of the Action Plan include significant deregulatory efforts aimed at promoting AI development:
- Consistent with Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) will work with all federal agencies to review, rescind, and/or amend regulatory and sub-regulatory hinderances to AI development and deployment;
- OMB will also work with federal agencies to limit discretionary AI-related federal funding to states with AI regulatory requirements that the administration considers onerous; and
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) will revise its “AI Risk Management Framework” to eliminate references to misinformation, DEI, and climate change.
The Key Workforce Provisions. The Action Plan tasks the DOL with leading, either on its own or in conjunction with other agencies, to empower American workers in the age of AI, including:
- Workforce funding streams should flow towards training, apprenticeships, and other skill-based initiatives that prioritize AI skill development;
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics should study AI’s impact on the labor market to incorporate the findings into DOL’s forthcoming “AI Workforce Research Hub”; and
- Exposure programs, pre-apprenticeships, training programs, and Registered Apprenticeships should be created and/or expanded for occupations related to the building, operation, and maintenance of AI infrastructure.
The Action Plan also includes specific recommendations to DOL for training a skilled workforce for AI infrastructure work. DOL will:
- identify high-priority occupations;
- partner with state and local government to support the creation of industry-driven training programs;
- expand early career exposure and pre-apprenticeship programs; and,
- expand the use of Registered Apprenticeship in occupations that are critical to AI infrastructure.
Employers Next Steps. As federal agencies accelerate and focus on AI adoption, private sector organizations need to assess how their workforce strategies align with emerging national priorities. Employers need to identify opportunities to ensure their workforces are trained and proficient with AI-related skills and technology. Companies may also want to explore paths to participate in or benefit from federal programs and funding aimed at supporting AI innovation, infrastructure, and international leadership. Additionally employers need to be cognizant of a likely tension between the federal deregulatory approach and a growing number of state law and regulatory requirements addressing the use of AI in the workplace.
FortneyScott invites clients and friends for a complimentary webinar discussing these developments on July 31, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET. Please click here to register.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your FortneyScott attorney.
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The longest US government shutdown has ended; the House will return to Washington and Congress will resume operations; the EEOC has a quorum and can fully operate; the leadership teams for all DOL agencies now are in place; the NLRB waits to learn the fate of its Members; and, the U.S. Supreme Court will be confronting its Emergency Rulings (the “shadow docket”) in merits rulings on the regular docket in several high stakes cases. Everyone in Washington, the US, and, indeed, the whole world is watching and trying to plan their next steps. Join the Employment Law Alliance (ELA) for an engaging and timely webinar where speakers will discuss what is likely to unfold regarding the workplace and beyond. They will offer practical guidance both for US companies and those that do business with the US .
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