President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at assessing the national security risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence models. The order allows the government to review the most powerful AI systems up to 30 days before they are publicly released.
The order states that the federal government will collaborate with trusted partners, granting them early access to certain frontier models to promote secure innovation and bolster cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. It was unclear how this order differs from a previous version Trump declined to sign in May, which he said was too restrictive for American AI leadership.
Trump canceled a planned White House event with tech industry leaders last month after expressing concerns that earlier drafts of the policy could hinder U.S. competitiveness. The earlier proposal was described as a voluntary collaboration with companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google.
The executive order emphasizes maintaining U.S. leadership in AI by fostering innovation while addressing emerging security threats. It directs agencies to prioritize cybersecurity efforts, develop benchmarks to evaluate AI models, and establish a voluntary framework for early access and collaboration with AI developers.
The order also calls for the Department of Justice to enforce laws against malicious use of AI, including illegal hacking and cybercrimes. Officials will work to create a classified process to assess AI models and determine when they qualify as “covered frontier models” for security review.
Overall, the executive order seeks to balance AI innovation with national security concerns, emphasizing collaboration between government and industry to protect critical systems and intellectual property, while avoiding mandatory licensing requirements, according to the document.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
