U.S. presidential administrations tend to have a significant impact on technology around the world. So it stands to reason that when Donald Trump returns to the White House in January, his second administration will do the same. Possibly even more than usual, since his Cabinet members are all people with close ties to the Heritage Foundation, the Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank behind the controversial 900-page leadership mandate, also known as 2025 Plan”). Of course, the incoming administration will impact more than just technology and engineering, but here IEEE Spectrumwe take a deep dive into how a second Trump term might impact these industries.
Read on to learn more, or click to navigate to a specific topic. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
Trump vowed during the campaign to repeal President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence, saying in his platform that it “hinders AI innovation and imposes radical left-wing ideas on the technology.” development”. Experts expect him to follow through on that promise, which could kill momentum in many regulatory areas, such as dealing with misinformation generated by artificial intelligence and protecting people from algorithmic discrimination.
However, some of the executive order’s work has already been completed; repealing the bill would not undo the report or undo decisions made by cabinet secretaries, such as the Commerce Secretary’s decision to establish the Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute. While Trump could order his new Commerce secretary to close the institute, some experts believe the institute has enough bipartisan support to survive. “It sets standards and processes that promote trust and safety – which is important for business users of AI systems, not just the public,” saidDoug Calidas, senior vice president of government affairs at Responsible Innovation USA.
As for new initiatives, Trump is expected to encourage the use of artificial intelligence for national security. He is also likely to expand export restrictions related to artificial intelligence technology in the name of staying ahead of China. Currently, U.S. semiconductor companies cannot sell the most advanced chips to Chinese companies, but there is a huge loophole in this rule: Chinese companies only need to register for U.S. cloud computing services to complete calculations on the most advanced basis. Art Hardware. Trump may close this loophole by restricting Chinese companies’ use of cloud computing. He could even expand export controls to limit Chinese companies’ access to base model weights — the numerical parameters that define how machine learning models work. ——Eliza Strickland
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Trump plans to impose steep tariffs on imported goods, including a 60% tariff on goods from China, a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% or 20% tariff on all other imports. tariff. He promised to do so on his first day in office, and if implemented, these tariffs will raise the price of many consumer electronics. according to a report The Consumer Technology Association announced at the end of October that tariffs could lead to a 45% increase in consumer prices for laptops and tablets, a 40% increase in video game consoles, a 31% increase in monitor prices, and a 31% increase in smartphone prices. consumer prices increased by 26%. The report predicts that overall, U.S. consumer technology purchasing power could decline by $90 billion annually. Tariffs imposed during Trump’s first administration have continued under Biden.
At the same time, the Trump administration may take a less aggressive stance on regulating big tech companies. Under Biden, the FTC has sued Amazon for maintaining monopoly power, sued Meta for violating antitrust laws and worked to block big tech mergers. Trump is expected to replace current FTC Chair Lina Khan, although it’s unclear how much the new administration, which describes itself as anti-regulatory, will influence the scrutiny Big Tech faces. Executives from major companies include Amazon, letter, apple, Yuan, Microsoft, open artificial intelligence, Inteland Qualcomm Congratulations on Trump’s election on social media, mainly X. (CTA also Send congratulations.) — Gwendolyn Lark
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cryptocurrency
On November 6, the day Trump announced the election, Bitcoin surged 9.5%closing above $75,000 – a sign that the cryptocurrency world is expected to thrive under the next regime. Donald Trump has positioned himself as a pro-cryptocurrency candidate, vowing at a Bitcoin conference in July to turn the United States into the “crypto capital of the planet.” If Trump follows through on his promise, he could create a national Bitcoin Reserve Holds Bitcoin confiscated by the U.S. government. Trump has also pledged to oust SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, who has been pushing adjust Most cryptocurrencies act as securities (such as stocks and bonds), which are subject to increased government scrutiny.
While Trump may not have the power to remove him, Gensler is likely to resign at the start of a new administration. it yes To the extent that Trump has the power to elect a new SEC chairman, he may be more tolerant of cryptocurrencies. The proof is in Trump’s pro-crypto cabinet nominations: Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary, his financial firm Oversee assets Tether stablecoin; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, said in the post “Bitcoin is the currency of freedom”; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard holds Two cryptocurrencies Back in 2018, as Trump said at a Bitcoin conference, “The rules will be made by people who love your industry, not people who hate your industry.” —Kohava Mendelssohn
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vitality
Trump’s energy sector plan focuses on establishing U.S. “energy dominance,” primarily by boosting domestic oil and gas production and deregulating those sectors. To that end, he selected oil services executive Chris Wright to lead the U.S. Department of Energy. “Starting from day one, I’m going to approve new drilling, new pipelines, new refineries, new power plants, new reactors, and we’re going to cut the red tape,” Trump said during a campaign speech in Michigan in August expressed in.
However, Trump’s stance on nuclear power is less clear. His first administration provided billions of dollars in loan guarantees for the construction of Georgia’s newest Vogtel reactor. But Trump told podcaster Joe Rogan in October that large nuclear facilities like Vogtel were “getting too big, too complex, and too expensive.” Trump has regularly expressed support for the development of advanced nuclear technology, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs).
As for renewable energy, Trump plans to “end” federal incentives for renewable energy. He vowed to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, a signature law of the Biden administration, to invest in electric vehicles, batteries, solar and wind energy, clean hydrogen and other clean energy and climate areas. Trump has trumpeted a particular distaste for offshore wind, which he claims will end on “Day One” of his next presidency.
When Trump first ran for president, he vowed to protect the coal industry, but this time he said little about it. Although Trump appointed a former coal lobbyist to lead the Environmental Protection Agency during his first term, coal-fired power generation has declined steadily since 2008. Trump has nominated former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency, a move expected to be central to his campaign promise of rapid deregulation. —emily waltz
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transportation
The incoming government hasn’t yet laid out many details on transport, but Plan 2025 has a lot to say on the subject. It recommends eliminating federal transportation funding, including programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). This will severely impact local transportation systems. For example, the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority may lose nearly 20% of its capital and may lead to fare increases, service cuts, and project delays. Kevin DeGoode, director of infrastructure policy at the Center for American Progress, warned that “eliminating capital or operating subsidies to transportation providers will quickly cause the system to collapse and become unreliable.” DeGoode also highlighted free trade agreement capital. Risks of investing in grants, which fund transportation expansion projects such as rail and bus rapid transit. Without this support, transportation systems will struggle to meet the needs of a growing population.
Project 2025 also proposes spinning off certain FAA functions into a government-sponsored company. While de Goude acknowledged that privatization can be effective if structured well, he warned against the idea that privatization inherently leads to weak regulation. “It is a mistake to think that government control means strong supervision and privatization means lax supervision,” he said.
Project 2025’s deregulatory agenda also includes repealing federal fuel economy standards and halting initiatives like Vision Zero, which aimed to reduce traffic fatalities. Additionally, funding for programs designed to connect underserved communities to jobs and services will be cut. Critics, including researchers at Berkeley Law, argue the measures prioritize cost cutting over long-term resiliency.
Trump also announced plans to end the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. —Willie D. Jones
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