Alliance for the Future Urges OSTP to Clear Barriers to American AI Leadership
On October 23, Alliance for the Future (AFTF) submitted formal comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as part of its Request for Information on regulatory barriers to artificial intelligence (AI) .
AI is already reshaping American life, from health care and manufacturing to transportation, energy, and national security. Yet the promise of AI is being slowed by outdated rules and a confusing patchwork of state and federal approaches. Without reform, the United States risks ceding ground to global competitors.
In our submission, AFTF highlighted six urgent priorities:
One National Framework: Stop the patchwork of state AI laws that create compliance traps and push investment overseas.
Better Data Access: Modernize privacy and data sharing rules and open federal datasets so AI models are trained on diverse, high-quality information.
Smarter Procurement and Standards: Break down slow contracting rules and focus standards on practical, innovation-friendly guardrails.
Clear Federal Guidance: Replace overlapping agency pronouncements with a single federal playbook that gives clarity to innovators.
Modernized Regulations: Update rules written before AI existed that now unintentionally block its use in critical sectors.
Permitting for Data Centers: Recognize that data centers are national infrastructure and streamline reviews so the United States has the backbone to power AI innovation .
The stakes could not be higher. America can either lead the world in AI or watch breakthroughs and jobs happen elsewhere. OSTP has a pivotal role to play in clearing away barriers and creating the conditions for United States innovation to thrive.
Alliance for the Future is committed to working with OSTP, Congress, and federal agencies to ensure AI innovation happens here at home and benefits every American community.
Alliance for the Future October 23, 2025
Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President Washington, DC
Re: Request for Information on Regulatory Barriers to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development, Deployment, and Adoption
Alliance for the Future (AFTF) appreciates the opportunity to provide input on regulatory and statutory barriers that hinder the development, deployment, and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in the United States.
AI has the potential to drive growth across every sector of the economy—health care, manufacturing, transportation, energy, and national security. But outdated rules and fragmented approaches at the federal and state levels risk slowing down that progress.
Key Areas Where Reform is Needed
- Patchwork of State Laws
The single greatest barrier is the absence of a national AI framework. A growing patchwork of state laws creates uncertainty and compliance costs that cripple AI research and development, and discourage investment in the United States. OSTP should work with Congress and agencies to advance federal preemption of state laws that restrict AI deployment.
- Outdated Data Rules
Current federal privacy and data-sharing regulations are inconsistent, and are siloed across agencies. AI training needs access to quality, diverse datasets to be effective. OSTP should recommend opening more federal datasets for responsible AI training while streamlining agency data-sharing processes.
- Procurement and Standards
Federal procurement rules are slow and outdated, making it harder for agencies to test and adopt AI-based solutions. OSTP should support pilot programs and flexible procurement models that allow agencies to test AI tools quickly. Standards development at NIST should focus on practical, innovation-friendly guardrails rather than speculative or overly restrictive risk frameworks.
- Overlapping Agency Guidance
Multiple agencies have released AI principles or guidance documents, often duplicative or conflicting. OSTP should help coordinate a “single federal playbook” for AI adoption, avoiding confusion and wasted resources.
- Regulations That Do Not Fit AI
Many existing statutes and rules were written before AI existed and do not account for its use in areas like health, energy, and logistics. OSTP should review agency-specific regulations and recommend updates that remove unintended barriers while still protecting public interests.
- Infrastructure Permitting for AI Data Centers
Building and expanding data centers is essential to support AI innovation, yet permitting and siting processes are slow, inconsistent, and duplicative across federal, state, and local levels. Energy infrastructure reforms should explicitly include data centers, since they are as critical to national competitiveness as roads or transmission lines. OSTP should recommend streamlining environmental reviews and permitting for data centers and related infrastructure (fiber, power, cooling, etc.) to ensure U.S. capacity can scale at the speed innovation requires.
Conclusion
The United States must avoid legal tarpits, including interstate regulatory fragmentation, and ensure that innovation happens here in America rather than being driven overseas. OSTP has a key role to play in identifying outdated rules, promoting a single national framework, and ensuring federal policies support American leadership in AI.
Alliance for the Future stands ready to support OSTP’s efforts to modernize rules and unlock the benefits of AI for every community.