Commerce Department quietly removes AI security testing agreement with Microsoft, Google, and xAI
5 Sources
[1]
US Commerce Department deletes Microsoft, Google, xAI security-test details
The US Commerce Department has removed from its website the details of an agreement under which Microsoft, Google, and xAI agreed to submit new AI models to government scientists for security testing before release, Reuters reported on Monday. The original page, posted on 5 May, said the three
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The Government’s Page About Its AI Vetting Deals with Google, xAI, and Microsoft Is Missing from Its Website
About a week ago, the Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) announced a deal with the AI companies Microsoft, xAI, and Google that allowed the government to inspect unreleased AI models before they're released to the general public. Anthropic and OpenAI signed
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Commerce Department Quietly Removes Microsoft, Google, xAI Security Test Details From Its Website
The U.S. Department of Commerce webpage deleted details outlining a deal with Google, xAI, and Microsoft to allow the government to examine new artificial intelligence models for security vulnerabilities before public release. The arrangement, which was announced last week, was presented as part
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Commerce Department removes AI testing agreement details from website By Investing.com
Investing.com -- The U.S. Commerce Department removed details from its website about its agreement with Google, xAI and Microsoft to test their artificial intelligence models for security vulnerabilities. The link that previously led to the department's announcement about the testing is no longer
[5]
Microsoft, Google, xAI security test details deleted from US government website
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department removed details from its website about its agreement with Google, xAI and Microsoft to test their artificial intelligence models for security vulnerabilities, according to a Reuters review of the agency's site. The link that previously
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The U.S. Commerce Department has deleted webpage details about a deal allowing government scientists to test AI models from Microsoft, Google, and xAI for security flaws before public release. The May 5 announcement vanished without explanation, redirecting to a general page. The removal signals potential internal disagreement about how Washington should engage with frontier AI systems.
Commerce Department Removes AI Security Testing Agreement Details
The U.S. Commerce Department has quietly removed from its website the specifics of an agreement with Google, xAI, and Microsoft that would allow government scientists to conduct AI security testing on unreleased AI models before public deployment
1
. The original announcement, posted on May 5, outlined how the three companies would submit their frontier AI systems to the department's testing team for evaluation of cyberattack vulnerabilities, military misuse risks, and national security risks1
. By Monday afternoon, the link returned a "Sorry, we cannot find that page" error message before redirecting to the Center for AI Standards and Innovation website2
.
Source: Market Screener
Neither the Commerce Department nor the Trump White House responded to requests for comment on why the security test details deleted from the public-facing site
5
. Microsoft, Google, and xAI also did not provide statements on the change1
.What the Agreement Promised for Pre-Release Review of AI Models
The May 5 announcement described expanded industry collaborations through which the Center for AI Standards and Innovation would conduct pre-deployment evaluations and targeted research to assess frontier AI capabilities and advance AI security
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. The agreement with Google, xAI, and Microsoft built on previously announced partnerships from 2024 with OpenAI and Anthropic, which were renegotiated to reflect the center's directives from the secretary of commerce2
.
Source: Benzinga
The Commerce Department had stated it already conducted more than 40 evaluations, including on advanced models not yet publicly available
3
. Developers often provide versions without safety guardrails, allowing the center to fully assess potential national security risks3
. By securing early access to advanced models, U.S. officials aimed to identify threats ranging from cyber intrusions to possible military misuse before models reach the public4
.Growing Concerns Over National Security Risks
Concern is growing in the U.S. government over the national security risks posed by powerful AI systems
5
. The arrangement was presented as part of Washington's push for earlier visibility into advanced systems that could pose threats3
. However, several federal officials have publicly questioned the wisdom of giving the government access to unreleased models pre-release, because such access could become a target for nation-state cyber-espionage1
.Related Stories
Signals of Internal Disagreement on AI Policy
The deletion matters most as a signal about the direction of U.S. AI policy. The Commerce Department's willingness to remove a positive AI-safety announcement from its public-facing website without explanation will be read by both critics and supporters as evidence of internal disagreement about how the government should engage with frontier AI labs
1
. Industry observers had treated the original May 5 announcement as a stable element of the new administration's approach to government testing before public deployment1
.The removal followed changes to the AI-safety architecture under an executive order that scaled back the previous administration's framework and reframed the institute's mission around standards and industry coordination rather than safety evaluation
1
. The deletion does not necessarily mean the program has been cancelled, as the Center for AI Standards and Innovation continues to operate1
. Anthropic, OpenAI, Meta, and other large model providers were not part of the original announcement and have not commented on the deletion1
.References
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