Trump delays AI security executive order, cites concern over language requiring pre-release model review

President Trump postponed signing an executive order intended to establish government review processes for AI models prior to public release. In remarks to the White House press pool, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the order's language, stating he did not want measures that would impede U.S. competitiveness against other nations in AI development.

The executive order would have directed the Office of the National Cyber Director and related federal agencies to create and implement a framework for evaluating AI systems' security properties before their commercial or public launch. The timing of the planned order came following high-profile releases of advanced AI systems from Anthropic and OpenAI with heightened security capabilities.

A central provision in the draft order required AI developers to provide pre-release access to advanced models to the government within a 14-to-90-day window before their public announcement. Trump indicated this requirement concerned him as potentially imposing compliance burdens that could hinder innovation velocity. Separately, reporting suggested the delay also reflected scheduling constraints, as key technology sector leaders could not be accommodated for a signing ceremony on the initially planned timeline.