Trump signs narrower executive order on AI oversight after industry objections

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday designed to give the government a chance to review powerful AI models before they are released. The order asks certain AI companies to voluntarily submit their new models to the government for testing or evaluation 30 days before releasing the products to the public. The move comes after a previous draft of the order faced significant pushback from the AI industry.

That draft had called for a voluntary review up to 90 days in advance, a timeframe that industry insiders deemed too lengthy. Venture capitalist and former White House AI czar David Sacks was among those who voiced concerns, prompting Trump to delay the signing until now. At the time, the president indicated that he was hesitant to impose regulations that could hinder the US AI sector's competitiveness with China.

The final version of the order explicitly states that it does not authorize the creation of a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release, or distribution of new AI models. "Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the creation of a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release, or distribution of new AI models, including frontier models," reads the order. The executive order also directs the Department of Justice to prioritize the enforcement of crimes such as AI-assisted hacking and unauthorized access.

This is not Trump's first foray into AI policy; in December, he signed an order aimed at developing a national AI policy framework, or "one rulebook," to preempt state AI laws. The revised executive order was signed privately, without the gathering of Silicon Valley's top CEOs that had been planned for a previous version of the order. Despite the industry objections, the Trump administration appears to be moving forward with its efforts to oversee the development and deployment of powerful AI models.