President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order Tuesday that lays the foundation for federal testing of the world\u2019s most powerful AI systems before they are publicly released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order, signed in private, directs federal agencies \u2014 including the Defense Department, the Treasury and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency \u2014 to shore up the country\u2019s cybersecurity defenses for critical infrastructure and charts out a mechanism for the federal government to test and vet the most powerful AI systems for safety issues before they are deployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The testing would rely on voluntary collaboration from America\u2019s leading AI companies, like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. The order explicitly bars the government from creating a mandatory licensing or preclearance requirement for new AI models, making the government\u2019s move a request, not a rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAdvanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies,\u201d the executive order says. It says the Trump administration will \u201cwork closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order would also direct a coalition of administration officials and offices spanning the Treasury Department, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to create an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse with collaboration from industry partners to centralize knowledge about software vulnerabilities and relevant patches to those issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The executive order was originally scheduled to be signed May 21, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The administration invited tech CEOs to attend the signing ceremony and held a news briefing with senior officials on the morning of the planned announcement. But the signing and the ceremony were canceled at the last minute. Later that day, Trump told reporters that the order could have hindered American companies\u2019 competitiveness with Chinese companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re leading China, we\u2019re leading everybody, and I don\u2019t want to do anything that\u2019s going to get in the way of that lead,\u201d he said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tuesday\u2019s order stipulates that the voluntary testing mechanism would give the federal government access to cutting-edge AI models \u201cup to 30 days before they plan to release such models to other trusted partners.\u201d The original executive order stipulated companies would be able to provide their models to the government up to 90 days before public release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The order also directs the attorney general to prioritize prosecuting crimes involving AI, with a particular focus on cybercrimes. It also asks prosecutors to focus on people using AI agents, or autonomous AI systems, to \u201cunlawfully access data or information that is subsequently used for a criminal or unlawful purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, White House spokesperson Liz Huston wrote: \u201cPresident Trump is the most pro-innovation President in American history. This executive order reflects his common-sense approach of collaborating with industry to balance innovation and security, cementing America\u2019s continued global dominance in AI and cybersecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The executive order has been in development for months. In April, Anthropic\u2019s new Mythos Preview model sent shock waves through Washington with its superhuman ability to find critical and severe vulnerabilities in the world\u2019s most-used operating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While AI systems\u2019 capabilities have been steadily increasing over the past few years, experts have said Mythos Preview represented a significant leap in cybersecurity capabilities in particular. While the model could help companies identify weaknesses in their cybersecurity programs, experts \u2014 and many within the government \u2014 feared that it could help bad actors or hackers exploit bugs in software systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAI systems are now the most powerful tools we have ever had to harden our cyber infrastructure and stay ahead of adversaries,\u201d Michael Kratsios, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote on X shortly after the order was released. \u201cIt is a real blessing that these capabilities are being developed by American industry, and not by those who would use them against us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To help companies plug gaps in their cybersecurity defenses, Anthropic launched a program called Project Glasswing to give advance Mythos Preview access to around 50 partners, including Cisco, Microsoft and Nvidia. On Tuesday, Anthropic said it would expand access to 150 organizations across more than 15 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anthropic competitor OpenAI launched a similar effort in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Trump returned to office, the administration has largely championed a light-touch approach to regulating AI, pushing back against federal proposals and state laws that it says would harm American AI innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Former White House AI czar and venture capitalist David Sacks has routinely cited onerous state regulation as a threat to America\u2019s AI industry. According to reports, Sacks advocated for pulling the previous iteration of the executive order at the last minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice President JD Vance, have become increasingly invested in governing AI\u2019s spread and limiting threats to America\u2019s security and economy. \u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re protecting people\u201d from AI risks, Vance said at a recent news conference, mentioning Americans\u2019 data and privacy as specific concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though the Trump administration aims to foster closer collaboration with America\u2019s leading AI companies through Tuesday\u2019s executive order, it technically remains locked in a legal battle with Anthropic that erupted several months before Mythos Preview\u2019s limited release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anthropic is adamant that its systems should not be used directly in lethal autonomous weapons or for mass domestic surveillance. The Pentagon balked at those stipulations, leading it and Trump to cut ties with the company. While a court has ruled in Anthropic\u2019s favor in California, the case remains pending in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n