Trump delays AI security executive order citing innovation concerns
Original: Trump delays AI security executive order: ‘I don’t want to get in the way of that leading’
Why This Matters
Presidential AI policy decisions significantly impact tech industry regulation and innovation
President Trump postponed signing an executive order requiring government evaluation of AI models before release, stating he doesn't want to hinder US leadership over China. The order would task agencies with developing security evaluation processes.
President Trump delayed signing an executive order that would allow government evaluation of AI models before public release. Trump told the White House press pool he was unhappy with certain aspects of the language, stating '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 leading.' Reports suggest insufficient tech CEO attendance for the planned photo opportunity also contributed to the delay. The proposed order would task the Office of the National Cyber Director and other agencies with developing AI model security evaluation processes, responding to concerns about Anthropic's Mythos and OpenAI's GPT-5.5 Cyber models that can exploit security vulnerabilities. A key sticking point involves requiring AI companies to share advanced models with government 14-90 days before launch, which Trump feared 'could have been a blocker.'