Trump signs executive order directing companies to share AI models with the federal govt ahead of full release
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) signed an executive order asking companies to provide artificial intelligence (AI) models to the federal government to assess their capabilities ahead of a full release.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) signed an executive order asking companies to provide artificial intelligence (AI) models to the federal government to assess their capabilities ahead of a full release.
CNBC stated that tech companies will comply with the order voluntarily. The executive order asks them to participate in an evaluation process to assess AI models' cybersecurity capabilities and allows the government to help select 'trusted partners' that will receive early access to the models.
The order stated, "Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the creation of a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement."
The executive order was signed by the US President in private and came weeks after he postponed a signing ceremony with prominent tech CEOs because he “didn't like certain aspects of it,” he told reporters at the time. The order released on Tuesday is vague on specifics, CNBC added.
What does the order state?
A release on the White House's website stated that within 60 days of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of War, through the Director of the NSA, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of CISA, in consultation with the White House Chief of Staff, through the National Cyber Director, the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (APST), and the Secretary of Commerce, through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and in coordination with other agencies, as appropriate, shall: "develop and maintain a classified benchmarking process to assess the advanced cyber capabilities of AI models and determine the threshold at which an AI model should be designated a 'covered frontier model' for this order, sharing such assessments with AI developers and researchers as appropriate."
Additionally, it noted that such a determination shall be made by the Director of the NSA, in consultation with the National Cyber Director, the APST, the Director of CISA, and other representatives of the Department of War.
They will also design a voluntary framework with AI developers through which developers would be able to engage with the federal government to determine whether model(s) under development meet the designation of a “covered frontier model,” and provide the federal government with access to covered frontier models, subject to appropriate confidentiality.
AI development in the US
According to CNBC, the order, which is thin on specific details, comes at a crucial time for AI in Washington. On Monday, Claude developer Anthropic announced that it had confidentially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an IPO, and rival OpenAI is also gearing up for a potential offering this year. Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX, which also owns AI lab xAI, is set to beat both AI firms to the public market, with a debut set to take place as soon as next week, a move that could value the company at well over one trillion dollars.
The tech industry in the US, whose fortunes have skyrocketed during the AI boom, has played a crucial role in the White House's positions on AI. Venture capitalist David Sacks, a longtime ally of Musk's, served as the first crypto and AI czar before that role came to an end earlier this year. But Sacks, along with Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, contacted the Trump administration last month to oppose an earlier AI executive order that the president was considering signing.
About the Author
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.
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