Talk about a triple threat!
When President Donald Trump assumed power for the second time, he made it clear that national security is at the top of his list of concerns.
Indeed, national security has been frequently cited as the major impetus underlying mass deportations and other innovative approaches to securing the border.
However, while much attention has been focused on the physical border, another border is increasingly important – the cyber border.
Indeed, the cyber infrastructure of the nation is critically important, especially when reflecting upon how many systems directly depend upon the virtual world.
Which is precisely why the new “arms race” of the twenty-first century is grounded in artificial intelligence (AI), rather than nuclear warheads.
Hence the White House unveiling a “triple threat” AI approach this week.
In the official list of presidential actions available on the official webpage for the White House, three new executive actions have emerged: “Promoting the Export of American AI Technology Stack”; “Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure”; and “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government.”
An especially hilarious executive order is “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,” which not only addresses border security in the cyberworld, but also DEI initiatives that have persisted in the brick-and-mortar world.
And, given all the DEI initiatives at various large technology companies – the entities at the forefront of the AI race – it is pretty clear that preventing AI from becoming “woke” is a surefire way to prevent the nation from becoming wholly broke.
From the perspective of the Trump administration, anyway.
The executive order details all the ways in which AI has already had a significant influence on Americans, in particular younger generations.
Which is precisely why the output of AI is critically important to consider.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a critical role in how Americans of all ages learn new skills, consume information, and navigate their daily lives. Americans will require reliable outputs from AI, but when ideological biases or social agendas are built into AI models, they can distort the quality and accuracy of the output,” the executive order declared.
And that output can be impacted by DEI, which the executive order also notes.
“One of the most pervasive and destructive of these ideologies is so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI). In the AI context, DEI includes the suppression or distortion of factual information about race or sex; manipulation of racial or sexual representation in model outputs; incorporation of concepts like critical race theory, transgenderism, unconscious bias, intersectionality, and systemic racism; and discrimination on the basis of race or sex. DEI displaces the commitment to truth in favor of preferred outcomes and, as recent history illustrates, poses an existential threat to reliable AI,” the executive order continued.
In this regard, the executive order mirrors remarks previously issued by none other than former “First Buddy” Elon Musk, who made headlines in the past for his clear aversion to AI.
“DEI must DIE. The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination,” Musk declaredon X.
That declaration is one of several that likely attracted Trump’s attention in the first place, though Musk has since stepped out of the spotlight.
That declaration is also in alignment with other actions undertaken by the administration thus far this year … especially as they pertain to border security, a subset of national security.
In a January 23, 2025 executive order – “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence” – the White House made it abundantly clear that AI will play a strong role in national resilience.
“It is the policy of the United States to sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security,” the order proclaimed.
Absolutely. Frankly, an investment in the ongoing AI arms race is a remarkably strong investment in national security.
While the Trump administration recently made headlines for its increased militarization at the border – clearly designed to limit the number of illegal border crossings – it can also achieve even greater security through fortifying the nation’s cyber border.
Which Trump himself acknowledged during a recent press conference.
“From this day forward, it’ll be a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence,” Trump asserted.
Without a doubt!
Author: Ofelia Thornton
