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In an important recognition of the power and potential for cutting-edge technological tools to supercharge the U.S. economy, today the Trump administration announced a bold new artificial intelligence (AI) Action Plan, marking a historic step forward for U.S. innovation, as well as our long-term national and economic security. The President’s Action Plan sets forth clear policy goals for the Federal Government, focusing on workforce, energy, and semiconductors.

Texas already leads the nation in semiconductor manufacturing, energy production, and economic development. At Texas Association of Business (TAB) – through our Tech Means Business Coalition – we have long advocated for policies that align with the key principals outlined in President Trump’s AI Action Plan, including:

  • Removing red tape;
  • Aligning grid demand with AI innovation needs;
  • Bolstering critical cybersecurity infrastructure;
  • Building and protecting military, defense, and intelligence infrastructure; and
  • Restoring American semiconductor manufacturing.

This action plan is a smart step toward ensuring the U.S. remains globally dominant in the AI era—and we are here to ensure that Texas – and Texas businesses – continue to lead the way.

A central pillar of the federal plan is limiting overly restrictive or onerous regulations on AI and enabling its adoption by creating regulatory sandboxes.

Texas already leads when it comes to removing red tape and over restrictive regulations. Thanks to the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (HB 149 by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione), Texas is already pioneering a regulatory sandbox model that allows companies to safely develop, test, and refine AI systems over a 36-month window—without being stifled by burdensome compliance requirements during research and pre-deployment phases. With sandboxes, innovators can focus on solving real-world problems, entering the market faster, and bringing new job opportunities to the state.

The framework also embraces the potential of AI to empower American workers by prioritizing AI skill development, including through career and technical education (CTE), workforce training, and apprenticeships. TAB has strongly supported legislative measures that encourage these programs, including Community College Finance Reform legislation in both the 88th and 89thlegislative sessions that fund community colleges based on outcomes, driven by employer needs. We’re also deeply committed to encouraging AI literacy, including through a recent event we hosted alongside the Richardson Chamber of Commerce and Google to provide local small businesses with practical knowledge on AI tools to help them compete on a national and global scale. These efforts ensure Texas will remain at the forefront of preparing a modern workforce, ready to succeed in the rapidly evolving, AI-driven economy.

The federal action plan also explicitly prioritizes ensuring that energy supply meets the demand needs of future AI infrastructure – including “streamlining permitting, strengthening and growing the electric grid, and creating the workforce to build it all.” Texas is already the nation’s largest producer of energy and home to a $469 billion technology sector, and we are uniquely positioned to leverage the full spectrum of our power resources – literally – to cement ourselves as an unrivalled AI powerhouse. This is no surprise, especially considering that Abilene, Texas was chosen as the first site for the Project Stargate – a $500 billion investment in enhancing U.S. AI infrastructure over the next four years. This is on top of major investments from Apple and Nvidia that have made Texas the center of the action within the broader trend of data center growth in the U.S.

To meet these important and ambitious goals for Texas and the U.S. to reign supreme in global AI dominance, we need to ensure our policies embrace an all-of-the-above-and-below approach to energy – as we are going to need every megawatt possible to meet the growing demand we are expected to see in the coming years due to the exponential growth of data centers and advanced manufacturing. We are especially grateful to the dedication of Governor Greg Abbott and Texas’ legislative leaders to “position Texas at the forefront of America’s nuclear renaissance,” making the largest national commitment this session to jumpstart next-generation nuclear development and deployment.

Today’s bold AI Action Plan is a testament to the incredible vision of David Sacks – President Trump’s Special Advisor for AI and Crypto – for the U.S. to win the global AI race by ensuring that “the whole world consolidates around the American tech stack.” This plan sets the stage for the U.S. to maintain AI supremacy over China – our key adversary in this generation-defining endeavor.

The announcement of the federal AI Action Plan today encompasses what the Texas Association of Business has long advocated for: policies that encourage innovation and competition, rather than red tape and roadblocks. It’s a win for job creators, a win for national security and defense, and a win for the continued global economic leadership of the United States and Texas.

–Glenn Hamer, President & CEO, and Megan Mauro, Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff, Texas Association of Business

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