Trump signs executive order seeking early government access to AI models

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that asks technology companies to give the federal government advance access to new artificial intelligence models before releasing them to the public, Politico reported.

The order encourages firms to voluntarily share new AI models for government review 30 days before releasing them to the public so that experts can assess their cybersecurity capabilities and potential risks.

The review window was reduced from an earlier proposal of 90 days, helping gain support from key administration officials. Trump was also concerned that the order risked strengthening China’s competitive position while adding regulations that conflicted with his broader deregulatory agenda.

The administration said the review process will help identify powerful frontier AI systems and allow trusted partners to test them before wider deployment. However, the order makes clear that it does not create a mandatory licensing or approval system for AI developers.

The move comes at a crucial time for the AI industry, as major companies compete to launch increasingly powerful models and prepare for potential stock market listings. It also marks a significant shift from the administration’s earlier hands-off approach to AI regulation.