WASHINGTON — James Burnham, a former senior attorney at both the Department of Government Efficiency and the Department of Justice under President Trump, has launched a new AI-focused policy group aimed at keeping the U.S. ahead of China in the global technology race.
The AI Innovation Council, announced Wednesday, aligns with a series of executive actions by President Trump to deregulate the artificial intelligence sector and promote a pro-growth, “America First” approach to emerging technologies.
“Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to make the United States wealthier and greater than it has ever been,” Burnham said. He added that Trump has made AI a top priority since returning to office, pledging to ensure U.S. dominance in the field to advance economic competitiveness, national security, and human flourishing.
Burnham, a vocal critic of Big Tech’s monopolistic practices, said now is the time to empower a new wave of American AI innovators. The council will develop regulatory frameworks to support U.S.-based AI companies and help shape national strategy.
President Trump, 79, is expected to sign a series of AI-related executive orders later Wednesday. These include measures to discourage “woke” AI systems and encourage the export of U.S. technology, as well as domestic infrastructure investment for data centers.
Trump’s AI czar, Silicon Valley billionaire David Sacks, will promote the administration’s new “AI Action Plan,” which seeks to limit state-level overregulation and channel over $100 billion in private-sector investments in AI and energy, announced last week in Pittsburgh.
A provision to pause state and local AI regulation was recently removed from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” before Trump signed it into law on July 4.
“The goal isn’t just to win the innovation race,” Burnham said. “It’s to help launch America’s golden age.”
