The U.S. Department of Justice has established a new Artificial Intelligence Litigation Task Force, signaling an aggressive federal stance toward state-level AI regulation and escalating a growing national debate over how artificial intelligence should be governed.
In a January 9 memorandum to all DOJ employees, the Attorney General announced the task force’s creation, citing President Donald Trump’s executive order directing his administration to pursue a “minimally burdensome national policy framework for AI” intended to ensure U.S. “dominance across many domains.”
The task force’s explicit mission is to identify and challenge state AI laws deemed inconsistent with federal priorities. According to the memorandum, it will contest such laws on the grounds that they “unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce,” are preempted by federal regulations, or are “otherwise unlawful,” suggesting potential future litigation targeting the growing patchwork of state AI statutes emerging nationwide.
The Attorney General will chair the task force, with the Associate Attorney General serving as vice chair. Additional members will be drawn from senior DOJ units including the Office of the Solicitor General, the Civil Division, and other components designated to support its work.
The memo also directs the task force to consult with White House officials including the Special Advisor for AI and Crypto and senior economic and science advisors, underscoring coordination across multiple policy domains.
The move follows an accelerating wave of state legislation addressing AI accountability, safety, consumer protection, and employment impacts—led by states such as California, Colorado, and New York. Many legal experts have warned that the absence of federal baseline rules has made the United States one of the most fragmented regulatory environments for AI globally.
By asserting federal authority over AI governance, the DOJ’s new task force is positioned to reshape the balance of power between federal and state policymaking at a moment when both innovation and regulatory urgency are intensifying.
It remains unclear which state laws will be targeted first, but the memo indicates the administration is prepared to intervene widely in defense of national AI priorities.
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