Trump seeks 90-day model access

President Donald Trump’s White House is preparing an executive order that would give the U.S. government early access to some of the most advanced artificial intelligence models before they are released to the public. Axios reported on May 20 that a draft order would set up a voluntary framework under which AI labs would share “covered frontier models” with the government at least 90 days before public launch. Bloomberg and The Information reported on May 21 that Trump could sign an AI cybersecurity order as soon as Thursday and that administration officials had already briefed leading AI companies on the plan. ### What, exactly, is the White House proposing? Axios reported that the draft order would require participating AI companies to notify the government about new frontier-model releases 90 days in advance and provide access before public deployment. The same draft would also extend access to certain critical-infrastructure providers, according to Axios and follow-on reports that described the framework as focused on “covered frontier models.” (axios.com) The Information reported that the Office of the National Cyber Director hosted a briefing on Tuesday for companies including OpenAI, Anthropic and Reflection AI on a planned order that would let intelligence and other government agencies review advanced models before release. Reuters, in an MSN repost of its report, said the briefing concerned a planned executive order empowering agencies to review advanced AI models before launch. (axios.com) ### Why is the order framed around cybersecurity? Nextgov reported on May 21 that the expected order comes as the administration weighs the national-security implications of advanced cyber-capable AI systems, including Anthropic’s Mythos. Federal News Network reported earlier this month that Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said the administration was studying a possible executive order to ensure new AI models are secure before public release, comparing the idea to the Food and Drug Administration’s safety review process for drugs. (theinformation.com) The Washington Post reported that the expected order would allow the government to vet advanced AI models before public release to defend against cyberthreats. Politico reported that the draft contains at least two sections, one focused on cybersecurity and another on frontier models, after weeks of internal debate over the administration’s direction. (nextgov.com) ### Is this mandatory government review or a voluntary framework? Axios described the current draft as a “voluntary framework.” MSNBC’s repost of the Axios scoop and reports from Gizmodo, Bloomberg-linked summaries and other outlets also described the approach as voluntary, even as the draft contemplated a 90-day disclosure window and government access before release. (washingtonpost.com) That distinction matters because the administration appears to be trying to preserve industry cooperation while expanding pre-release visibility. Axios reported earlier this month that the government had already signed new agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI to test powerful models, adding to existing voluntary evaluation arrangements with other frontier labs. (msn.com) ### Which companies would be affected first? The Information named OpenAI, Anthropic and Reflection AI as companies briefed by the White House on Tuesday. Axios and Politico did not publish a full list of companies covered by the draft, but both described the proposal as aimed at frontier-model developers rather than the broader AI market. (axios.com) The draft’s focus on “covered frontier models” suggests the first companies in scope would be the largest U.S. labs building top-tier general-purpose systems. That is an inference from the reporting, not language the White House has publicly released. ### What happens next in Washington? Bloomberg reported that Trump had asked tech industry leaders to join for an event tied to the order and could issue it as soon as Thursday, May 21. (theinformation.com) As of the latest reports reviewed here, the White House had not publicly released final text, and several outlets described the document as still evolving after internal debate. (politico.com) The next concrete milestone is the order itself. If Trump signs it on May 21, the first details to watch will be the definition of “covered frontier models,” which agencies get review authority, and whether access for critical-infrastructure providers remains in the final text. (bloomberg.com)