White House asserts control over frontier AI models, shifting power from OpenAI and Anthropic

The White House is dictating access to frontier AI models, shifting power from tech giants

The Trump administration has taken new steps to assert more control over the rollout of future artificial intelligence model releases by dictating which companies and entities are allowed access to the latest frontier models, two sources familiar with the matter told CNBC. Until now, that decision was in the hands of American AI giants. Both Anthropic and OpenAI have decided which companies and agencies have access to their most powerful models, and have often included major enterprise customers. Anthropic unveiled its most capable Mythos cybersecurity model to a handful of partners with Project Glasswing. OpenAI was asked by the administration to gate its recent GPT-5.6 release, and has a similar consortium called Daybreak for its cybersecurity model. A White House official told CNBC that it doesn't provide approvals for AI releases from private companies. The official said any engagements, testing or meetings with government experts are "voluntary" and that "decisions on timing and scope of releases rest entirely with the companies," referring CNBC to Trump's recent executive order. "The Administration continues to collaborate with all of America's frontier labs to strengthen the security of this technology without stifling innovation," they wrote. However, last month the Trump administration blocked Claude Mythos 5 and Fable 5 due to "national security concerns," reinstating access after weeks of intense negotiations with Anthropic. OpenAI last month said it would limit new AI models to "trusted partners" to comply with government requests.

Trump Administration Seeks Control Over Who Gets OpenAI and Anthropic's Most Powerful AI Models: Report

The Donald Trump administration is reportedly seeking greater influence over which companies and organizations receive early access to frontier AI models developed by the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic. OpenAI, Anthropic AI Access Faces New Oversight The administration's newly launched cybersecurity initiative, Gold Eagle, could serve as a clearinghouse that would allow the White House to determine which organizations receive early access to advanced AI systems, CNBC reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. People familiar with the matter told the publication that future rollouts could require explicit government approval for participating partners. If implemented, the change would mark a significant shift from the current approach, under which AI companies have largely controlled early access to their most powerful models through their own trusted-partner programs. A White House official denied that the administration approves AI releases from private companies, telling the publication that government engagements and testing are voluntary. "The Administration continues to collaborate with all of America's frontier labs to strengthen the security of this technology without stifling innovation," the official said. The official added that "decisions on timing and scope of releases rest entirely with the companies," pointing to Trump's recent executive order on AI. The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. How AI Companies Have Handled Early Access Until now, OpenAI and Anthropic have decided which enterprises, government agencies and other organizations receive early access to their newest AI models. Anthropic has made its cybersecurity-focused Mythos model available to a select group of partners through Project Glasswing, while OpenAI operates a similar initiative called Daybreak for its cybersecurity model. The administration previously asked OpenAI to limit access to its GPT-5.6 model to trusted partners. The report also said Anthropic's Claude Mythos 5 and Fable 5 were temporarily blocked last month over national security concerns before access was restored following negotiations. Why The Administration Is Getting Involved The reported push comes as the White House attempts to balance national security concerns surrounding increasingly capable AI systems with maintaining the U.S. lead in artificial intelligence. Trump's June executive order encouraged frontier AI developers to voluntarily provide the government with early access to models for security testing. Meanwhile, competition from China continues to intensify. On Friday, Chinese startup Moonshot AI unveiled its Kimi K3 model, which reportedly performs close to OpenAI's GPT-5.6 and Anthropic's Fable models on several benchmarks. Reacting to the development, former White House AI czar David Sacks wrote, "This is how you lose the AI race. The rest of the world won't play by our rules if we bog ourselves down." Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Image via Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.