IATSE Alarmed by Trump Executive Order Attempting to Limit State AI Protections in Absence of Federal Law

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is deeply alarmed by President Trump’s Executive Order to sue and investigate state laws which regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and directing federal agencies to withhold federal funding from states with AI laws deemed to be unfavorable.

IATSE agrees with the order’s assertion that the Trump Administration must act with Congress to establish a national framework for AI regulation and the recognition that a federal policy is needed to ensure copyrights are respected. However, preventing states from passing and enforcing AI protection before Congress acts is an invitation for lawlessness that directly threatens IATSE members and their economic livelihoods.

Recent attempts to roll back and ban state AI protections were rejected overwhelmingly by Congress and remain deeply unpopular with the public. Earlier this week, IATSE and the arts, entertainment, and media industry unions applauded the decision by Congress to exclude an AI moratorium from being forced into the National Defense Authorization Act and urged the Administration to reconsider similar attempts to limit the rights of state governments to protect their constituents.

AI has the potential to transform the entertainment industry and many others, but without clear safeguards, it poses serious risks to American workers’ jobs, privacy, and safety. The order and proposed moratorium on state-level policy both threaten to roll back essential worker protections and undermine ongoing bipartisan efforts to ensure AI technologies are developed and deployed responsibly.

Policymakers across the political spectrum have taken important steps to protect Americans from harmful AI through fair, transparent, and responsible AI standards at the state level. For example, Colorado’s Algorithmic Discrimination Act addresses bias and discrimination in automated decision-making, while Florida has implemented policies governing AI in Political Advertising, non-consensual deep-fakes, and Automated Decision-Making. Just yesterday, New York signed two bills into law to protect consumers and boost AI transparency in the film industry.

Rather than seeking to eliminate the only safeguards we have, the federal government should learn from these state efforts to develop a strong, comprehensive framework that ensures AI benefits workers and society.

The Executive Order’s approach takes this harm one step further, seeking to punish states that take action and proactively address pitfalls of AI technology and use, leaving workers vulnerable to misuse and displacement.

IATSE urges policymakers to reject any attempt to strip states of their right to protect working people and to ensure that AI regulation at all levels prioritizes fairness, transparency, and accountability.