America’s AI Action Plan Just Raised the Bar. Are You Even Close to Playing the Game?

Let’s stop pretending this is business as usual.

The White House just dropped a 90-point AI Action Plan and followed it up with executive orders, procurement priorities, export restrictions, and contractor requirements. This is not another “guidance memo.” This is policy with teeth.

And while it may look like it's aimed at government, here’s the truth:

If you're building, selling, or using AI, this absolutely applies to you.

But Wait - What About the Other Memos?

Let’s break it down:

• March 2024: OMB released M-24-10, the first real AI governance mandate for federal agencies.
  Translation: Get your house in order: AI inventories, risk assessments, human-in-the-loop, CAIOs.

• April 2025: M-25-21 and M-25-22 replaced it. They emphasized speed, American-made tools, and gave agencies more flexibility in oversight.
  Translation: We want innovation, but we still expect structure.

• July 2025: Enter the AI Action Plan and companion Executive Orders.
  Translation: The U.S. is officially all in on AI. And, now it wants accountability, control, and dominance.

This isn’t a shift. It’s a shot across the bow.

So, What’s in the AI Action Plan?

Here’s what actually matters - not just for federal agencies, but for every business, consultant, and tech vendor in the AI space:

1. The U.S. wants to win the global AI race.

And it’s making that clear with infrastructure investments, export controls, and an aggressive posture on data and model ownership.

If you’re building AI or relying on foreign tools, prepare for disruption. Expect procurement requirements to change. Fast.

2. Vendors will be vetted - not just their tools.

Selling to the government? They want to know if you meet the standard. Ideological alignment, ethical practices, and training transparency. It’s not just what your model does or doesn’t do - it’s how you run your business.

Private sector clients are already watching. This is the brand new bar. And as I’ve said many times, AI represents an entirely new way of doing business.

3. Bias and misuse prevention are now policy priorities.

Model creators and consultants must show how they’re reducing harm and building for fairness. No more shrugging off bias as a data problem.

If you’re advising clients or building LLM workflows, your ethical guardrails better be more than lip service.

4. States, agencies, and companies are being told to get in sync.

This is the start of a national AI operating framework. That means fragmented AI strategies won’t fly much longer.

Trying to scale AI without a governance plan? You’ll hit a wall.

The Bottom Line

This is not just about government AI. It’s about your AI.

If you build it, sell it, recommend it, or use it - this Action Plan is a warning shot. The days of pilot purgatory, duct-taped GPTs, and “we’re just experimenting” excuses are over.

It’s time to lead. Or get left behind.

So - Are You Aligned, or Just Playing Catch-Up?

• Do you have AI governance baked into your sales, procurement, and delivery processes?

• Do your consultants know how to position value inside this shifting policy climate?

• Are you building AI like it’s part of your infrastructure - or still playing with it like a toy?

If not, I can help.
We’ve been preparing for this moment, and the tools are now in place.

Whether you’re a vendor trying to sell smarter, or a business trying to scale safely, you need a governance playbook that doesn’t slow you down – you need one that clears your runway.

Let’s get you ready before the next wave hits.

[Reach out for an AI Readiness & Governance Alignment Review]