Critical and Emerging Technologies

On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed two Executive Orders establishing an updated comprehensive federal framework for quantum information science and technology. The first order focuses on security—requiring federal agencies and government contractors to upgrade their encryption systems to withstand attacks from future quantum computers, before those computers arrive. The second focuses on innovation—accelerating research, commercialization, and workforce development in quantum computing and

On June 2, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order (EO) on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity—just weeks after abruptly pulling a prior version at the eleventh hour, with tech leaders already assembled at the White House for a signing ceremony. In the wake of reports on the new capabilities of frontier models to identify and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities at scale, the EO sets out the administration’s framework for voluntary government pre-release review of “covered fron

For much of the last year, the Trump Administration has signaled its opposition to state AI regulation that, in its view, could stifle innovation and impede the country’s ability to win the AI race. In its most recent salvo, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, April 24, intervened in a lawsuit brought by xAI challenging Colorado’s SB24-205 (the Colorado AI Act). The DOJ alleges that the Colorado AI Act violates the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution, both by compelling AI d

On March 20, 2026, the White House released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, briefly recommending a set of legislative priorities for Congress across seven subject areas to “win[] the AI race.” The framework represents the clearest statement to date of the Administration’s ambitions for congressional action and offers a sense of where legislative engagement will likely focus over the coming year, including on preemption, child safety, and scaling infrastructure. But it is

The Administration’s 2026 AI Action Plan foreshadowed broad efforts to bring Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities to government. Now, the General Services Administration (GSA), which leverages government-wide purchasing power, is proposing a new, required clause, GSAR 552.239-7001, Basic Safeguarding of Artificial Intelligence Systems, in all solicitations and contracts in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities are either (a) provided to the government or (b) used by the contractor

Yesterday the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order (EO), “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” that directs the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies to take action to preempt State AI laws.

States are playing a critical role in the development of AI policy in the United States, as serious legislative efforts at the federal level remain stalled. The Trump Administration and Republican Congress have signaled they plan to take a business-friendly, light-touch approach to AI regulation that prioritizes American innovation and emphasizes competition with China, and there is little prospect of Congress moving a substantive AI bill in the current political climate. Instead, states are mov

 On July 23, 2025, the Trump administration debuted its long-awaited AI Action Plan (the Plan), identifying a range of policies to be implemented across the federal government to “usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.” Alongside the Plan, President Trump also released three executive orders (EOs) that (1) promote the export of “full-stack American AI technology packages,” (2) facilitate the build-out of AI data ce

Associates Steven Arango and Nikita Lalwani will speak at the 2025 Summer Institute on Law and AI, taking place from July 11 to 15 in Airlie, Virginia. The event is hosted by the Institute for Law & AI.

Associates Steven Arango and Nikita Lalwani will speak at the 2025 Summer Institute on Law and AI, taking place from July 11 to 15 in Airlie, Virginia. The event is hosted by the Institute for Law & AI.

On June 6, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a new executive order on “Sustaining Select Efforts to Strengthen the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Amending Executive Order 13694 and Executive Order 14144”1 (“Trump Cyber EO”), which significantly narrows the scope and ambition of a Biden administration executive order focused on raising federal cybersecurity standards among federal vendors. However, the order retains certain key provisions raising internal cybersecurity standards within federal a

Partner Aaron Cooper spoke with Legaltech News to discuss how AI could change hacking and cybersecurity defense, technology’s role in geopolitical competition, and the state of privacy and cybersecurity governance.

The Trump administration recently announced its intent to scrap the so-called AI diffusion rule, a complex regulation the Biden administration published in January to govern the global export of AI technology and maintain US AI leadership. The rule was designed to limit adversary access to the inputs needed to build and train advanced AI systems, as well as to keep most AI data centers in the United States and allied countries. In a statement denouncing the rule, the US Department of Commerce’s

A month has passed since the Department of Justice (DOJ) National Security Division’s (NSD) issued its Final Rule prohibiting certain transactions involving US government data and Americans’ bulk sensitive personal data. Designed to prevent foreign adversaries from accessing and exploiting data that could be used to enhance artificial intelligence capabilities, augment intelligence collection and foreign espionage, and enable malicious cyberattacks and malign foreign influence capabilities, the

Partners Aaron Cooper, Madeleine Findley, and Shoba Pillay were named to Lawdragon’s second annual list of the 500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers. The accolade recognizes leading lawyers in privacy, data, security, incident response, and the deals and lawsuits that revolve around all things Cyber.

Jenner & Block is pleased to announce that Matt Pearl, former Director for Emerging Technologies and Special Advisor to the Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House National Security Council (NSC), has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Washington, DC office. Matt will be a member of the Communications, Internet, and Technology Practice and the Critical and Emerging Technologies Practice.

Partner Aaron Cooper, founding co-chair of Jenner & Block’s new Critical and Emerging Technologies Practice, spoke with Law360 about the launch of the practice group, which will help clients navigate this moment of accelerating legal and regulatory change.

Recent activity by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) highlights the Federal government’s ongoing focus on US leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and opportunities for public input. On April 24, 2025, OSTP published the over-10,000 public comments submitted in response to the White House’s Request for Information for the development of a new White House action plan on AI (AI Action Plan). The AI Action plan, which is set to be delivered to the President in July

Jenner & Block is pleased to announce that Aaron Cooper has rejoined the firm as a partner in the Washington, DC office. Aaron will serve as the founding co-chair of the firm’s new Critical and Emerging Technologies Practice. He will also return as co-chair of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice and as a partner in the Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice.