White House delays AI executive order

President Donald Trump on Thursday postponed a planned White House signing of an executive order on artificial intelligence after saying he did not want the measure to weaken the U.S. position against China. The draft order had been prepared for a ceremony with AI industry executives later in the day, according to Reuters and Politico. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he objected to parts of the text, but did not specify which provisions he wanted changed. ### What exactly was supposed to be signed? A White House draft would have created a voluntary framework for AI developers to engage with the U.S. government before releasing advanced models to the public, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the order. Politico reported the reviews could have taken place as far as 90 days before release. (usnews.com) The proposed process was tied to cybersecurity concerns inside the administration. Reuters reported the order also would have directed the government to use advanced AI models to strengthen cyber defenses for federal systems and for critical sectors such as banks and hospitals. Politico said agencies involved in the review were expected to include the Treasury Department, the National Security Agency and the White House cyber office. (usnews.com) ### What did Trump say when he called it off? Trump told reporters on May 21 that he had postponed the order because “I didn’t like certain aspects of it.” He added: “We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead.” Reuters, AP and Politico all reported those remarks. (usnews.com) The White House did not publicly identify the language Trump opposed. Reuters said the president did not specify which parts of the executive order he objected to. ### Why was AI safety under discussion in the first place? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in April that he and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell had convened Wall Street chief executives to discuss cybersecurity risks tied to advanced AI systems, according to the Associated Press. (usnews.com) AP said the meeting followed concern about Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model and its ability to identify software vulnerabilities. Reuters reported that concerns have been rising in government and the private sector about the cyber risks posed by powerful AI systems, including Anthropic’s Mythos. Reuters also reported that Anthropic had warned the model could intensify complex cyberattacks, while cybersecurity experts told the news agency those fears were overstated. (usnews.com) ### How does this fit with Trump’s broader AI policy? Trump revoked former President Joe Biden’s 2023 AI executive order on January 20, 2025, according to NIST and the Federal Register. Three days later, Trump signed Executive Order 14179, titled “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which directed officials to produce an AI action plan within 180 days. (usnews.com) The White House released that plan on July 23, 2025, under the title “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan.” The White House said the plan was designed to advance U.S. leadership in AI and national security. ### Which companies were involved in the planned rollout? Reuters reported that chief executives of AI companies had been expected at the Thursday ceremony. (nist.gov) Politico reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were not expected to attend in person and planned to send other representatives. (whitehouse.gov) Reuters also reported that U.S. media outlets, including Semafor and The Washington Post, said the administration’s plans were paused after pressure from xAI founder Elon Musk, Zuckerberg and former Trump AI adviser David Sacks. Musk responded on X that reporting about his role was false and said he did not know what was in the order before Trump declined to sign it, according to Reuters. (usnews.com) ### What happens next? As of May 22, the White House had not announced a new signing date. Politico reported it was not immediately clear when the event might be rescheduled, and Reuters said Trump had not identified the provisions he wanted revised. (politico.com) (usnews.com)