Trump signs AI order seeking access to new models before release

President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order Tuesday that asks AI companies to give the government early access to their most powerful models for review.

The order, signed in private, directs federal agencies — including the Pentagon, Treasury and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — to shore up the nation’s cybersecurity defenses for critical infrastructure, and lays the groundwork for the federal government to test and vet the most powerful AI systems for safety issues before they are deployed.

The testing would rely on voluntary collaboration from America’s leading AI companies, like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. The order explicitly bars the government from creating a mandatory licensing or pre-clearance requirement for new AI models, making the government a request, not a rule.

“Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies,” the executive order says. The order states the Trump administration will “work closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country.”

The executive order was originally scheduled to be signed in late May, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The White House invited tech CEOs to attend the signing ceremony and held a press briefing with senior officials on the morning of the planned announcement.

However, Trump pulled the order at the last minute, later telling reporters that the order could have hindered American companies’ competitiveness with Chinese companies.

“We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump said at the time.

Tuesday’s order stipulates that the voluntary testing mechanism would provide the federal government to cutting-edge AI models “up to 30 days before they plan to release such models to other trusted partners.”

The executive order has been in development for months. In April, AI company Anthropic’s new Mythos Preview model sent shockwaves through Washington with its superhuman ability to find critical and severe vulnerabilities in the world’s most-used operating systems.

Senior administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice President JD Vance, have become increasingly invested in governing AI’s spread and limiting threats to America’s security and economy.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.