A US executive order is a written direction from the President to federal agencies. Since January 2025, President Trump has signed several that concern AI. They cover policy goals, schools, data centers, federal purchasing, exports, state laws, cybersecurity and terminology. None is a law passed by Congress. Each summary below links to the official Federal Register text so you can read it yourself.
01What an executive order can and cannot do
An executive order tells federal agencies and officials what to do and by when. Several of the orders below say they must be carried out under existing law and create no new rights that anyone can enforce against the government. They are different from a statute passed by Congress. We describe what the texts say. We do not rate them or comment on the people involved.
Most orders share the same parts: a purpose section, a policy statement, numbered tasks with deadlines counted in days from the signing date, and a closing section of general provisions. The numbered tasks tell you who must act and when.
02The 2025 orders
These five orders set goals, then covered schools, data centers, federal purchasing and exports.
- [Order 14179](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02172/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence), 23 January 2025. Sets a policy of sustaining US "global AI dominance". It treats the earlier Executive Order 14110 as revoked, orders a review of actions taken under it, and requires an AI action plan within 180 days.
- [Order 14277](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/28/2025-07368/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth), 23 April 2025. Creates a White House task force on AI education, chaired by the head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. It states a policy of AI literacy, teacher training and early exposure to AI concepts.
- [Order 14318](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/28/2025-14212/accelerating-federal-permitting-of-data-center-infrastructure), 23 July 2025. Aims to speed federal permitting for large AI data centers, defined by new power demand above 100 megawatts, and for the power, chip and networking equipment they need. It also calls for using federal land.
- [Order 14319](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/28/2025-14217/preventing-woke-ai-in-the-federal-government), 23 July 2025. Titled "Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government". It tells agencies to buy only large language models that follow two "Unbiased AI Principles", truthfulness and ideological neutrality. The Office of Management and Budget must issue guidance within 120 days.
- [Order 14320](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/28/2025-14218/promoting-the-export-of-the-american-ai-technology-stack), 23 July 2025. Directs the Commerce Department to set up an American AI Exports Program within 90 days and invite industry groups to propose complete export packages, from chips and cloud services to models and applications.
03December 2025: the order on state AI laws
Order 14365, signed 11 December 2025, states a goal of one national AI policy instead of many state ones. Its main tasks are:
- The Attorney General forms an AI Litigation Task Force within 30 days to challenge state AI laws.
- The Commerce Secretary publishes an evaluation of state AI laws within 90 days, and a funding notice that could make states with laws it names ineligible for some broadband money.
- The Federal Communications Commission starts a proceeding on a federal AI reporting standard, and the Federal Trade Commission issues a policy statement on AI and deceptive practices.
- White House staff prepare a legislative recommendation to Congress. It must not propose overriding state laws on child safety, data center infrastructure or state government use of AI.
04The 2026 orders: security and terminology
Order 14409, signed 2 June 2026, sets a policy of promoting AI innovation and security. It gave agencies 30 to 60 days to strengthen cyber defenses, set up an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse with industry, and design a voluntary framework. Under it, developers of "covered frontier models" could give the government access for up to 30 days before wider release. It also tells the Attorney General to prioritize existing criminal laws against people who use AI to break into computer systems.
Order 14434, signed 29 September 2026, tells agencies to use "Super Intelligence" instead of "artificial intelligence" in their own non-statutory documents. It leaves older regulations and contracts unchanged. The President's science adviser must send proposed legislative language for a federal definition within 60 days, around 28 November 2026.
Order 14409 says nothing in it authorizes a mandatory government licensing, preclearance or permitting requirement for developing or releasing new AI models.
?What is not known
- Whether agencies met the 2026 deadlines in Orders 14365 and 14409. We did not find a published Commerce evaluation of state AI laws on 24 October 2026.
- Whether courts will uphold actions taken under Order 14365. Courts decide that case by case, not the order itself.
- What definition of "Super Intelligence" will be proposed, and whether Congress will adopt it.
QQuestions people ask
Is an executive order the same as a law?
No. An order directs federal agencies and can be changed by a later President. A law is passed by Congress and signed. Courts can also review actions that agencies take under an order.
Where can I read the official text of an order?
Search the order's number at federalregister.gov. Every order above links to its Federal Register page, which shows the signing date, the publication date and the full text.
Does Order 14319 apply to private companies?
It is about what federal agencies buy. The text says the government should be hesitant to regulate private AI models, and it sets terms for federal contracts for large language models.
Last checked October 24, 2026. Rules and settings change, so open the source to see the current version.
- Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Federal Register The January 2025 order; we used it for the policy, the revoked earlier order and the action plan deadline.
- Executive Order 14277, Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth Federal Register The April 2025 order; we used it for the task force and the education policy.
- Executive Order 14318, Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure Federal Register The July 2025 order; we used its purpose and its definition of a data center project.
- Executive Order 14319, Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government Federal Register The July 2025 order; we used it for the two principles and the guidance deadline.
- Executive Order 14320, Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack Federal Register The July 2025 order; we used it for the exports program and its 90-day deadline.
- Executive Order 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence Federal Register The December 2025 order; we used its sections on the task force, Commerce, the FCC, the FTC and legislation.
- Executive Order 14409, Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security Federal Register The June 2026 order; we used it for the cyber tasks, the voluntary framework and the no-licensing clause.
- Executive Order 14434, Inaugurating the Era of Super Intelligence Federal Register The September 2026 order; we used it for the terminology rule and the 60-day definition task.
- National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, Legislative Recommendations The White House The March 2026 document that followed Order 14365's call for a legislative recommendation.
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