President Donald Trump has signed an executive order requesting technology companies to voluntarily provide the US government oversight of new AI models before they are made available to the public.
The order marks a change from the administration’s previous approach to the technology, which emphasised less regulation.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
Under the order, the US departments of Treasury, Defense, Commerce, and Homeland Security, along with other agencies, have been directed to work with AI developers to secure agreements allowing for the testing of AI models.
The agreement would give federal agencies up to 30 days to evaluate the models before their release to entities outside the government.
The order’s provisions also call for greater emphasis on strengthening cyber defence throughout government.
President Trump said: “The US continues to lead the world in Artificial Intelligence (AI) because of the enormous talent and innovation of our AI industry, and because we refuse to stifle this innovation with overly burdensome regulation.
“My Administration has unleashed tremendous technological growth and economic investment in AI by slashing the bureaucratic constraints that the prior administration placed on America’s AI developers and researchers, and by instead encouraging AI innovation and accelerating responsible AI adoption across government and industry.”
The President has directed the Committee on National Security Systems to prioritise strengthening the cyber defence of National Security Systems within 30 days. The committee is to take prompt and appropriate actions consistent with the order’s purpose.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is instructed to issue directives and guidance to expedite the security of federal systems. The order also calls for providing enhanced cyber defence tools and access for state and local authorities, as well as critical infrastructure operators.
An AI cybersecurity clearinghouse is to be established by the Secretary of the Treasury, in collaboration with other departments and the AI industry, to coordinate the scanning, discovery, and remediation of software vulnerabilities.
The order also requires a review of funding for federal grants that could support advanced AI vulnerability detection and an expansion of the US Tech Force Information Cybersecurity Specialist hiring programme within 60 days.
A voluntary framework is to be designed with AI developers, allowing them to work with the government to determine whether their models fall under the classification of “covered frontier model.” If they do, developers would provide access to these models for up to 30 days before planned release.
The order states that this framework is not intended to create a mandatory licensing or preclearance requirement.
Additionally, the Attorney General has been instructed to prioritise enforcement of federal criminal laws related to the misuse of AI for unlawful access or damage to computer systems.
The order specifies that its implementation should not impair existing authorities or legal rights.
