The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued updated directives aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across U.S. federal agencies. These changes mark a key step in implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and promote American leadership in emerging technologies.
In coordination with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the President’s science advisor, the two revised memos—focused on federal AI use and procurement practices—are designed to modernise government operations and promote AI innovation without compromising civil rights, civil liberties or data privacy.
“President Trump recognises that AI is a technology that will define the future. This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilising these emerging technologies within the Federal Government,” said Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of OSTP.
“Today’s revised memos offer much needed guidance on AI adoption and procurement that will remove unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions, allow agencies to be more efficient and cost-effective, and support a competitive American AI marketplace.”
The revisions are meant to close what the administration sees as a growing gap between AI advancements in the private sector and the government’s slow-moving technology adoption processes.
Greg Barbaccia, Chief Information Officer at OMB, highlighted the outdated nature of current systems. “Federal agencies have experienced a widening gap in adopting AI and modernising government technology, largely due to unnecessary bureaucracy and outdated procurement processes,” he said. “OMB’s new policies demonstrate that the government is committed to spending American taxpayer dollars efficiently and responsibly, while increasing public trust through the Federal use of AI.”
The new memos aim to streamline how agencies purchase AI tools, run pilots, and measure outcomes. By clarifying the legal and procedural pathways for AI integration, the White House hopes to make it easier for government departments to experiment with and deploy cutting-edge solutions.
The move comes as the U.S. seeks to defend its dominance in AI against increasingly assertive global competition. The revised federal AI policy is part of a broader national strategy that includes public-private partnerships, R&D funding, and workforce training.