In July 2025, the White House released the America’s AI Action Plan—a national strategy positioning artificial intelligence as the next major engine of economic and geopolitical power. The plan lays out more than ninety policy actions organized around three pillars: accelerating innovation, building AI infrastructure, and leading internationally in AI diplomacy and security.
The Core Vision
At its heart, the plan reframes AI as critical infrastructure—something the U.S. must build, not just regulate. It calls for fast-tracking data-center construction, domestic chip manufacturing, and energy-grid upgrades to support large-scale model training. Agencies are directed to expand open-source AI research, promote “regulatory sandboxes” for experimentation, and modernize workforce programs to prepare Americans for AI-driven roles.
On the global stage, the strategy emphasizes exporting “secure AI ecosystems” to allies while restricting access to advanced systems for rival nations. It also commits to influencing emerging international standards and protocols for safe and ethical AI deployment.
The Upside
Supporters see the plan as a much-needed acceleration of innovation after years of fragmented AI policy. By investing in infrastructure and training, it could unlock a wave of productivity and job creation across industries. For boards, this signals a powerful incentive to embed AI not just in operations, but in enterprise-level strategy. It also reinforces the view of AI as both a growth and security imperative.
The Risks
Critics worry that the plan’s pro-innovation tilt comes at the expense of oversight. By targeting existing rules for rollback, it risks weakening safeguards around bias, privacy, and accountability. Rapid data-center expansion could strain power grids and face environmental pushback. Meanwhile, the lack of clarity between federal and state oversight may create compliance confusion for national firms.
What Boards Should Watch
The plan signals a new phase: AI deployment at national scale. Directors should align governance, ethics, and infrastructure strategies now. Whether this approach balances speed with responsibility remains to be seen—but in AI, as in most things strategic, time will tell.