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ARTICLE · 28 JANUARY 2026

Navigating The Emerging Federal-State AI Showdown: DOJ Establishes AI Litigation Task Force

BakerHostetler
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In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that among other directives, instructed the attorney general to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Litigation Task Force...

United StatesTechnology
Michelle Tanney
Michelle Tanney
Madison Gaudreau
Madison Gaudreau
Kayley Sullivan
Kayley Sullivan
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Key Takeaways:

  • In December 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that among other directives, instructed the attorney general to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Litigation Task Force charged with challenging state AI laws deemed inconsistent with the administration's goal of advancing a "minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI."
  • On Jan. 9, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the launch of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) AI Litigation Task Force, which – according to an internal DOJ memorandum – is tasked with challenging state AI laws inconsistent with federal policy. This includes undue interference with interstate commerce, conflicts with existing federal statutes or regulations, and any other theories the attorney general deems appropriate.

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