Trump reverses course on AI regulation, considers mandatory government vetting of frontier models
18 Sources
[1]
Everything that could go wrong with Trump's AI safety tests, according to experts
This week, the Trump administration backpedaled and signed agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI to run government safety checks on the firms' frontier AI models before and after their release. Previously, Donald Trump had stubbornly cast aside the Biden-era policy, dismissing the
[2]
White House reportedly considers mandatory government vetting of AI models before release -- executive order under discussion
The proposed review process would give the government first access to frontier AI models. The Trump administration is in early discussions about an executive order that would create a government review process for AI models before public release. The proposed order would establish a working group
[3]
Trump jumps from 'anything goes' to 'strict regulation' AI policy
OPINION When President Donald Trump returned to power, he cast himself as the anti‑Biden on AI. First, he tore up Biden's Executive Order 14110, which had demanded "safe, secure, and trustworthy" AI. He then replaced it with his own "Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial
[4]
Trump heads to China to spread the gospel of American tech while emulating Xi Jinping on AI
Donald Trump is heading to China this week. If his guest list is any clue, he wants to discuss technology with Xi Jinping, though perhaps after the war in Iran. On Monday, news broke that outgoing Apple CEO, Tim Cook, as well as SpaceX and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, would join the US president. Other
[5]
Trump's China trip collides with AI security fears
Why it matters: The U.S. and China both have an interest in preventing each other from weaponizing AI tools against them or letting rogue systems into the wild. * But it remains to be seen whether they can hold a productive dialogue around AI security norms or trust the other to abide by
[6]
Trump administration suddenly embraces AI oversight ideas it once rejected | Fortune
When it comes to AI, the Trump Administration has largely positioned itself as the opposite of the Biden White House -- criticizing what Trump's tech policy advisors saw as overly burdensome AI safety efforts and licensing regimes, and embracing an anti-regulation approach. Former Trump "AI and
[7]
Trump China visit: Why AI warfare may feature in summit
As Trump heads to Beijing for a summit with Xi Jinping, AI-enabled warfare, cybersecurity and the deepening US-China tech rivalry are set to dominate talks, even as a breakthrough deal on semiconductors looks unlikely. Trade and geopolitics are expected to dominate the agenda, but United States
[8]
AI rivalry overshadows push for guardrails at Xi-Trump talks: experts
Beijing (AFP) - Fears that artificial intelligence could help people design bioweapons or hack into national infrastructure are mutual concerns for Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, despite their countries' fierce rivalry over the technology, analysts say. As the leaders prepare for a rare summit in
[9]
What's behind Washington's AI safety pivot
Why it matters: What happens next could be the turning point for how the Trump White House handles the proliferation of the most advanced AI models in the world. * And there are new reports of possible coordination between the two countries that are fiercely competing on AI development -- a signal
[10]
The Elon Musk-OpenAI trial is producing more heat than light in the debate over who should control AI | Fortune
Hello and welcome to Eye on AI...In this edition: Sparks fly as Musk and Brockman testify in battle over OpenAI's restructuring...the White House does a 180 degree U-turn on AI regulation and may begin reviewing AI models prior to release...OpenAI and Anthropic both target PE-backed companies with
[11]
The death of AI idealism
Why it matters: OpenAI and Anthropic were founded on the idea that AI would be deployed in ways that prioritized safety and the public good. Now those principles are giving way to an arms race for market share, as those companies and others release ever more powerful models. The big picture: The
[12]
Trump, Xi to huddle in China as AI race heats up
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have the rare chance this week to directly discuss artificial intelligence as both countries race to dominate the field while managing the risks of advanced models. The talks come at a pivotal time for the Trump administration, as new models
[13]
White House scrambles to tame AI fears
The White House is scrambling to find its footing on AI policy, as the development of new, more powerful models forces the Trump administration to rethink its strategy on AI safety. From the outset of President Trump's second term, the White House has promoted a pro-innovation, light-touch stance
[14]
How Anthropic's Mythos Triggered Trump's AI Regulation U-Turn - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
A new AI model from privately held Anthropic is so powerful that the company won't release it publicly and the White House is reversing its hands-off approach to AI regulation, the Wall Street Journal reported. From Hands-Off To FDA For AI President Donald Trump is weighing an executive order to
[15]
Trump to regulate AI development after Anthropic's Mythos posed cybersecurity threat - report
US President Donald Trump talks with Vice President JD Vance in the Cross Hall following a celebration of US military mothers event at the White House in Washington, US, May 8, 2025. The White House might stop freely promoting artificial intelligence technology, with reports from both The Wall
[16]
Trump's White House considers implementing AI regulation after cybersecurity warnings
US President Donald Trump speaks prior to signing an executive order on AI, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US December 11, 2025. Having given Silicon Valley free rein to roll out the technology, US President Donald Trump is now considering introducing government oversight
[17]
After India, Is the Trump Regime Taking a Relook at Its Hands-off Approach Towards AI?
India could take a leaf off President Trump's purported move to set up an oversight process for all new AI models Ever since artificial intelligence (AI) appeared in its current avatar, there has been a vertical division on building guardrails around it, with little or no consensus between the
[18]
China's AI is truly artifical - and the US must fight Xi's zero-sum tech race and stolen advancements
Despite the hype surrounding China's artificial intelligence capabilities, progress remains heavily dependent on theft and smuggling. The Chinese Communist Party, meanwhile, is determined to maintain tight control. That has become increasingly clear ahead of this week's Beijing summit between
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The Trump administration is discussing an executive order that would require government review of advanced AI models before public release, marking a dramatic shift from its earlier deregulatory approach. The move follows concerns about Anthropic's Claude Mythos model and its potential cybersecurity risks, as Trump prepares to discuss AI guardrails with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump AI Policy Undergoes Dramatic Reversal on Safety Testing
The Trump administration is in early discussions about an executive order on AI that would establish mandatory government vetting of AI models before their public release, according to U.S. officials cited by the New York Times
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. This represents a stark departure from the president's initial approach, which dismantled Biden-era AI safety protocols within hours of taking office in January 2025. The proposed review process would give the government first access to frontier AI models, with the White House briefing leaders from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI on the plans last week2
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Source: CXOToday
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett confirmed the administration is "studying possibly an executive order to give a clear roadmap to everybody about how this is gonna go, and how future AIs that also potentially create vulnerabilities should go through a process so that they're released into the wild after they've been proven safe - just like an FDA drug"
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. The shift comes after Anthropic announced it would be too risky to release its latest Claude Mythos model, fearing bad actors might exploit its advanced cybersecurity capabilities1
.Center for AI Standards and Innovation Signs Testing Agreements
The Department of Commerce's Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) announced new agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI to conduct pre-deployment evaluations and targeted research on frontier AI models
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. CAISI Director Chris Fall emphasized that "independent, rigorous measurement science is essential to understanding frontier AI and its national security implications"1
. To date, CAISI has completed approximately 40 evaluations, including assessments of unreleased models with reduced or removed safeguards to more thoroughly evaluate national security concerns1
.Notably absent from these agreements is Anthropic, which remains embroiled in a months-long feud with the administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave Anthropic an ultimatum in February: remove guardrails on autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, or lose its $200 million Pentagon contract
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. When Anthropic refused, Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using the company's technology, and the Pentagon designated it a supply chain risk2
. Vice President JD Vance has requested that Anthropic not expand access to Mythos beyond its initial list of partners, according to the Wall Street Journal4
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Source: Benzinga
AI Security Fears Drive China Discussions
President Trump is expected to discuss AI guardrails with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his Beijing visit this week, U.S. officials told reporters
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. "We want to take this opportunity with the leaders meeting to open up a conversation and see if we should establish a channel of communication on AI matters," one official stated5
. The visit comes as both nations increasingly view advanced AI systems as economic engines, intelligence tools, and potential cyber weapons. China's laws already require AI companies to submit their models to Beijing for review on both security and political sensitivity grounds4
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Source: Axios
Trump's delegation includes outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, though CEOs from leading AI firms aren't on the list
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. The White House accused China last month of running "industrial-scale" campaigns to distill and copy American AI models, while in November, Anthropic accused Beijing of using Claude to automate parts of a broader espionage campaign targeting about 30 global organizations5
.Related Stories
Critics Question Government's Capacity for AI Regulation
Experts have raised concerns about whether CAISI possesses the funding or expertise to evaluate frontier AI models effectively. Gregory Falco, a Cornell assistant professor, noted that "the federal government does not currently have the in-house technical expertise, infrastructure, or day-to-day insight needed to directly evaluate these systems on its own"
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. Former White House cyber policy director Devin Lynch pointed out that "capability assessments are only as good as the threat models behind them" and emphasized that CAISI needs to define and publish what it's testing for, not just who it's testing with .Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, warned that "the definition of 'safe' is contested" and that without defined standards, "the process can be politicized"
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. Any politicization of the evaluation process—such as opposing the release of models whose outputs disfavor a certain administration's political views—could decrease trust in AI and ultimately dissuade firms from signing voluntary agreements1
. The proposed oversight would involve the NSA, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, and the Director of National Intelligence, resembling the UK's approach where the AI Security Institute evaluates models against safety benchmarks before deployment2
.What This Means for the AI Industry
The administration's pivot on AI regulation carries significant implications for how AI companies develop and deploy their most advanced systems. The proposed AI working group of tech executives and government officials would develop oversight procedures that could fundamentally reshape the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington [2](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/white-house-consider s-mandatory-government-vetting-of-ai-models-before-release). This shift toward stricter oversight comes as U.S. AI companies wrestle with how to safely release increasingly powerful models that are exceptionally good at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities
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.The weaponization of AI remains a pressing concern for both U.S. and Chinese officials, as both countries actively test the offensive cyber capabilities of frontier AI models. The National Security Agency is already testing Mythos, highlighting the dual-use nature of these advanced systems
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. Whether voluntary commitments from AI firms can create the transparency needed around national security concerns, or whether mandatory reviews become the norm, will likely depend on how the administration navigates the tension between fostering innovation and addressing AI security fears in the months ahead.References
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