Sam Altman urges US lawmakers to fund AI testing but reject mandatory model approvals
10 Sources
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OpenAI's Altman to urge US lawmakers not to require AI model approvals
WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will advocate against proposals that AI developers obtain U.S. government approval before releasing new models to the public, according to a company statement on Wednesday, as part of a broader effort to shape regulation of the
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to meet with lawmakers, Trump officials in D.C.
Altman's meetings come after President Donald Trump signed an executive order about AI this week, which Altman voiced support for. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is meeting with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, including officials involved with the executive order on artificial intelligence
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Sam Altman tells Congress to fund AI testing, not to require model approvals
The OpenAI chief is in Washington making the case against pre-release sign-off, days after Trump's executive order asked for voluntary government testing. Sam Altman spent the week in Washington making a careful distinction. He is asking lawmakers to spend more money testing artificial
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OpenAI and the White House have competing visions for regulating artificial intelligence
In a recently released policy paper entitled "Democratic Governance of Frontier AI: A blueprint for a federal framework," OpenAI put forward its vision of AI regulation, built around five core priorities: promoting transparency, protecting innovation, addressing risks to national security and
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In policy paper, OpenAI diverges from White House on AI safety
In policy paper, OpenAI diverges from White House on AI safety OpenAI Group PBC's newly released proposal for how advanced artificial intelligence should be regulated differs slightly from the Trump administration's executive order, also released this week. OpenAI's paper, entitled, "Democratic
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OpenAI's Sam Altman to meet with White House, lawmakers
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and members of the Trump administration on Wednesday as part of a week-long swing through Washington, D.C. to discuss artificial intelligence. Altman will attend meetings with White House officials, including those involved with
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Sam Altman Heads To Washington As OpenAI Stakes Out Its AI Policy Stance
Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, is headed to Washington, D.C., for a round of meetings with congressional leaders and officials from President Donald Trump's administration as the White House moves to shape U.S. policy on artificial intelligence. An OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC that Altman planned to
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Sam Altman Aims to Shape AI Collaborations in Washington Meetings | PYMNTS.com
Altman met with administration officials at the White House and with lawmakers of both parties, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to the report. The executive order signed Tuesday (June 2) seeks access to new AI models before their release,
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White House order aims to promote artificial intelligence innovation and security
Most technology rules arrive late. They get written after the damage is already done, named for the disaster they were meant to prevent. Governments are not built to move first. They move when something scares them. For roughly two years, the United States treated artificial intelligence (AI)
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OpenAI CEO Altman meets lawmakers on AI policy after Trump order - CNBC By Investing.com
Investing.com - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is meeting with lawmakers and Trump administration officials in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to discuss artificial intelligence policy following President Donald Trump's executive order on AI signed earlier this week. Altman will meet with House Speaker Mike
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with White House officials and congressional leaders to advocate against mandatory government approvals for AI models. He's pushing for increased funding for AI model testing at the Commerce Department while resisting proposals that would require federal sign-off before releasing new models. The visit comes days after Trump's executive order asked AI companies to voluntarily share models for testing.
OpenAI Pushes Back Against Mandatory AI Model Approvals
Sam Altman spent this week in Washington making a carefully calibrated pitch to US lawmakers: fund AI model testing, but don't require government approvals before new models reach the public. The OpenAI CEO met with White House officials, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as part of a broader effort to shape AI regulation
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. His message draws a sharp line between evaluation and authorization—asking Congress to expand resources for testing at the U.S. Department of Commerce while rejecting proposals that would force developers to obtain federal sign-off ahead of a public launch3
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Source: Reuters
The timing isn't coincidental. President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week asking AI companies to voluntarily provide the government access to their models for up to 30 days before release
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. Altman publicly supported the order, writing on X that "the new EO gets the balance right"2
. But his Washington visit represents an effort to ensure that voluntary framework doesn't evolve into a mandatory licensing system3
.The Case for Testing Without Gates
Altman wants Congress to increase funding for AI testing at the Commerce Department, specifically asking the government to add scientists with expertise in cybersecurity, biological weapons, and national security to that effort
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. The pitch centers on building capacity to evaluate frontier AI models rather than granting authority to block them. The department already works with companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic to test their models, though companies aren't obligated to make any changes based on testing outcomes—a dynamic Altman doesn't want to change1
.This position reflects where OpenAI has consistently landed on regulating artificial intelligence: supporting evaluation and disclosure while resisting pre-clearance regimes that would place a government office between a finished model and its users
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. Federal government requirements could hurt the company's profits if they slow the rollout of new models or prompt OpenAI to change how its products perform to address security concerns1
. The visit comes as OpenAI prepares to confidentially file for an initial public offering, making regulatory clarity particularly urgent1
.Competing Visions for White House AI Policy
Source: SiliconANGLE
OpenAI released a policy paper this week entitled "Democratic Governance of Frontier AI: A blueprint for a federal framework," which diverges slightly from the administration's approach
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. The company wants civilian agencies—specifically the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) within the Commerce Department—to oversee AI safety, while the White House executive order places the National Security Agency in charge of evaluating potential risks5
. OpenAI executive Chris Lehane told Politico that CAISI has the "sophisticated testing" needed and that OpenAI and Anthropic have already developed close relationships with the agency5
.Another concern centers on the executive order's plan to establish a "benchmarking" process for frontier AI models. Lehane noted this may create confusion about how much scrutiny models will face from the NSA, particularly around when a model hits the capability threshold requiring designation as a "covered frontier model"
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. OpenAI's paper proposes a "reverse federalism" approach, allowing states to develop and refine common legal frameworks first before Congress adopts them nationally4
.Related Stories
Why Light-Touch Regulation Matters Now
Speaker Johnson described his meeting with Altman as "very good, productive" and discussed what a "light touch" regulatory framework should look like to "prevent some of the harms that could come from it"
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. That framing aligns with what the industry has been encouraging, though whether it survives contact with members of Congress who favor harder rules remains unresolved3
. As AI becomes more ubiquitous, regulators are struggling to catch up with concerns ranging from massive job losses to the turmoil caused by deepfakes and the crisis of knowing they precipitate4
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Source: Mashable
The implicit bargain Altman offers is that government should be equipped to find problems in advance through testing it pays for, rather than through a license it issues. Where that line falls between evaluation and authorization is precisely what Congress would decide if it legislates
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. The week established the shape of the fight ahead: the administration has asked for a look before release, Altman is willing to provide that look, and he's in Washington to keep it from becoming a gate3
. The balance struck here will have major consequences for the societal impact of AI and how quickly innovation can move forward while addressing national security risks.References
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