AI, But Make It Patriotic

Trump just dropped his AI master plan, and surprise: it's basically Silicon Valley's wish list with a patriotic bow on top. The message is crystal clear. Forget those pesky safety guardrails Biden put up. We're going full speed ahead because China is breathing down our necks.

Here's the deal. Trump's "AI Action Plan" throws environmental regulations under the bus faster than you can say "data center." Want to build a massive energy-guzzling AI facility on federal land? No problem. Worried about clean air and water protections slowing things down? Not anymore. The plan literally calls environmental concerns "radical climate dogma." Subtle.

The strategy has three big moves. First, cut all the red tape that might slow down AI companies. Second, build infrastructure like there's no tomorrow. Third, make sure American AI tech becomes the global standard before China beats us to it. It's basically "America First" meets "move fast and break things."

But here's where it gets interesting. Trump is also declaring war on "woke AI." Remember when Google's image generator drew Black founding fathers? Trump's team is still mad about that. Now they want government contracts to only go to AI companies that promise their systems are "objective" and free from liberal bias. Good luck defining what "objective" means when you're talking about technology trained on human-created data.

The plan reads like it was written by the same Silicon Valley investors who bankrolled Trump's campaign. And guess what? It basically was. David Sacks, Trump's AI czar and former PayPal exec, has been pushing these ideas on his podcast for months. Now those coffee shop conversations are becoming federal policy.

The China angle is doing heavy lifting here. Every time someone raises concerns about rushing ahead without safety nets, the response is predictable: "But what about China?" It's the ultimate conversation ender. Chinese company DeepSeek already spooked everyone by building competitive AI on the cheap. Now that fear is driving policy.

States that try to regulate AI on their own might lose federal funding. It's a pretty aggressive move to keep anyone from slowing down the AI gold rush. Meanwhile, environmental groups are basically screaming into the void about pollution and energy consumption.

Here's why this matters to you. Those massive data centers need enormous amounts of electricity. Guess who's paying for the infrastructure upgrades and potentially higher energy bills? That's right, regular Americans. But hey, at least we'll beat China to artificial general intelligence.

The real test isn't whether this plan sounds good on paper. It's whether pumping billions into AI infrastructure actually delivers the promised economic benefits without turning your electricity bill into a mortgage payment. And whether racing ahead without safety guardrails creates problems we'll regret later.

Trump's betting that innovation trumps regulation every time. We're about to find out if he's right.

Rapid Fire

👮 Meta just gave the EU’s new AI rulebook the middle seat on a long-haul flight. While OpenAI, Microsoft, and even French startup Mistral signed the EU’s voluntary AI code of practice, Meta refused, calling it “overreach” and warning it brings legal confusion. The timing’s bold too. The full AI Act kicks in August 2, so this isn’t just a casual pass. Meta’s policy chief even said Europe is “heading down the wrong path.” Translation: we don’t like your homework and we’re not doing it.

What’s in this code that Meta’s dodging? Stuff like not training AI on pirated content, actually documenting how your models work, and keeping things safe and transparent. Voluntary, yes. But skip it, and you open yourself up to more scrutiny. The EU says companies that don’t sign will need to prove they’re following the rules some other way. And fines for breaking the AI Act? Up to 7 percent of global sales. Meta’s hoping its standoff rallies support, over 40 European firms already asked for a delay. But the EU isn’t blinking.

📈 Google parent Alphabet just proved that when you're making money hand over fist, the logical response is to spend even more of it. The company beat Wall Street's revenue expectations with $96.43 billion versus the expected $94 billion, then casually announced they're bumping their capital spending from $75 billion to $85 billion this year. Consolidated Alphabet revenues in Q1 2025 increased 12 ... That's a $10 billion increase delivered like it's a rounding error. Google Cloud revenue jumped 31% to $13.62 billion, well above the 26.5% growth analysts expected, Consolidated Alphabet revenues in Q1 2025 increased 12...so apparently customers can't get enough of Google's AI-powered services. When you're beating expectations by that much, throwing more money at data centers starts looking less like splurging and more like keeping up with demand.

Here's why this matters beyond Google's bank account. Google had earlier pledged about $75 billion in capital spending this year, part of the more than $320 billion that Big Tech is expected to pour into building AI capabilities. This isn't just one company getting carried away. It's the entire tech industry making a massive bet that whoever builds the biggest, fastest AI infrastructure wins everything. Meanwhile, Google's core search business brought in $54.19 billion and advertising revenue hit $71.34 billion, up 10.4% from last year, Consolidated Alphabet revenues in Q1 2025 increased 12 ... proving that even with all the AI disruption fears, people still search for stuff and click on ads. The real question is whether spending $85 billion actually guarantees Google stays ahead, or if they're just participating in the world's most expensive arms race.

👪 Instagram just rolled out new safety features aimed at protecting kids, and the adults who run accounts that center around them. Think family vloggers, kidfluencers, or stage moms managing their kid’s online fame. Starting now, those accounts will automatically get Instagram’s strictest settings. That means blocked DMs from strangers, aggressive comment filters through the “Hidden Words” feature, and limited discoverability by suspicious users. Basically, Instagram’s trying to build a digital fence around child-focused content.

And the move’s not just for show. Meta says it’s already taken down over 135,000 accounts for sexualizing kids’ content and nuked another 500,000 associated with those users. They’re also adding extra safety tools for teens, like being able to block and report in one tap, nudity filters in DMs (which 99% of users keep on), and visibility into when an account joined Instagram. Why now? Because pressure is mounting, from the Surgeon General, from lawmakers, and from parents who’ve seen how fast things can go sideways online. Instagram’s message: we hear you. Whether it’s enough? That’s the real question.

Tech Radar

Amazon just scooped up Bee, the buzzy AI wearable startup that basically listens to everything you say. Yes, everything. For $49.99 (plus a $19-a-month fee), Bee offers a bracelet or Apple Watch app that records your conversations to build your to-do list and send helpful reminders. Think of it as your overly attentive friend who never forgets a thing. The device runs on AI, automatically generating summaries from your chats. It doesn't store the raw audio or use it for training, and it promises to only capture voices with consent. There’s even a feature in the works that lets you define “no-record” zones by topic or location. Sounds thoughtful, until you remember Amazon now owns it.

Speaking of Amazon, this acquisition is a clear signal that the company wants to move beyond the kitchen counter and onto your wrist. Bee’s team is sliding into Amazon’s Devices & Services division, which already brought you Echo and Alexa. But instead of shouting commands from across the room, this next-gen assistant is on you, listening in real time. That might be convenient, or creepy, depending on how much you trust a company that’s shared Ring doorbell footage with law enforcement without user consent. Either way, Amazon just bought a front-row seat to your daily life. Let’s hope they’re not taking notes.

Recently Deployed

YouTube Shorts just got a major AI upgrade. Google DeepMind’s Veo 2 is now integrated into the platform, letting creators generate full video clips and backgrounds from nothing but a text prompt. No editing chops? No problem. Just type something like “a neon jungle at night” and boom, instant content. It’s a big leap from the earlier Dream Screen tool, and it’s already live in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with more countries on the way.

Veo 2 doesn’t just slap visuals together, it understands real-world physics and movement, so the results actually look good. Creators can tweak the style, add cinematic effects, and pick lens settings to match their vibe. All AI-generated content gets watermarked with DeepMind’s SynthID and labeled accordingly by YouTube. And if that’s not enough, YouTube says Veo 3 is coming later this summer. That one will add sound generation too. Basically, YouTube is betting big on AI to keep creators creating, and to keep Shorts competitive.

That’s a wrap.

While Trump rewrites AI policy with Silicon Valley's playbook and Google throws another $10 billion at the AI arms race, the real story might be simpler: everyone's betting huge money that artificial intelligence reshapes everything. Whether that means better products for you or just higher bills and fewer guardrails remains the trillion-dollar question.