Casting a harsh spotlight on the global hiring practices of America’s technology giants, US President Donald Trump has directed companies such as Google and Microsoft to halt outsourcing jobs to countries like India and instead prioritise domestic employment.
Addressing an AI Summit in Washington on Wednesday, Trump rebuked what he termed a “globalist mindset” prevailing in Silicon Valley, accusing major firms of profiting from American freedoms while investing and hiring heavily overseas.
“Many of our largest tech companies have reaped the blessings of American freedom while building their factories in China, hiring workers in India and stashing profits in Ireland, you know that. All the while dismissing and even censoring their fellow citizens right here at home. Under President Trump, those days are over,” he said.
Trump asserted that the United States must take the lead in the AI revolution through a renewed sense of “patriotism and national loyalty,” urging companies to put “America first”.
“We need US technology companies to be all in for America. We want you to put America first. You have to do that. That's all we ask,” the President told the gathering of industry leaders.
At the summit, Trump signed three new executive orders intended to strengthen domestic artificial intelligence infrastructure and regulate federally funded AI development. The plan, titled “Winning the Race”, outlines a national strategy to expedite datacentre construction and AI-related infrastructure within the country.
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The second order mandates that companies receiving federal funds must ensure their AI models remain politically neutral. “We are getting rid of woke,” Trump declared, criticising what he described as the previous administration’s ideological tilt through diversity and inclusion mandates. “AI models should be accurate and not influenced by ideology,” he said, insisting neutrality in all government-facing AI systems.
The third executive order focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of American-made AI tools by facilitating their export and supporting end-to-end development within the United States.
Adding a rhetorical flourish, Trump also questioned the nomenclature of the field itself, saying, “It’s not artificial, it’s genius,” expressing his distaste for the term ‘artificial intelligence’.
Although the immediate implications for India’s vast IT and outsourcing industries remain speculative, the message was unambiguous: under Trump’s renewed term, offshore hiring, particularly from India, may face stiffer resistance.
Industry analysts believe this policy pivot could threaten longstanding outsourcing models that have benefitted India’s technology workforce for decades. While the executive orders currently target federally aligned projects and infrastructure, further regulatory tightening remains likely, especially with Trump sharpening his electoral focus on domestic jobs and nationalistic rhetoric.
As American firms brace for compliance with the new rules, and allies such as India watch for signs of economic realignment, Trump's remarks appear to have fired the opening salvo in reshaping US tech policy for a more insular future.
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