Trump executive order seeks sneak peek at new AI

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday requesting tech companies to give federal officials a chance to assess how powerful a new AI model is before it’s publicly released. Advanced AI strengthens America but introduces new national security considerations as AI capabilities evolve, according to the order.

Trump officials aimed to work with industry leaders to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed quickly, confronting any and all threats to the country, according to the order. It’s America’s policy to promote innovation and security within AI by working with the private sector to modernize the government against external threats and protect American ingenuity, the order said. Trump vowed to continue leading an America First cybersecurity effort, and opened the order by noting his administration’s work to slash bureaucratic red tape and overall encourage AI innovation.

How will Trump make companies share their models? The order requested that companies participate in benchmark testing for the government to gauge the power of new AI models, and placed companies under no legal obligation to give federal officials anything. The order consisted mostly of directives to federal agencies on how to better prioritize and integrate AI into government functions, namely around security.

Trump’s order came amid a monthslong legal dispute with the AI company Anthropic. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the company to allow the military unrestricted use of its AI in late February. Anthropic declined the military’s request, noting that the agreement included no guardrails against mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.

The new order came after U.S. officials brokered a pact with Sweden in March to secure the AI tech supply chain. The Pax Silica Declaration will secure digital infrastructure and protect technologies while promoting innovation, according to the State Department.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Black’s report in WORLD Magazine about the rise of generative AI and what it means for humanity.