OpenAI has agreed to let U.S. regulators assess its artificial intelligence models before they are released to the public. The announcement follows President Trump's signing of an executive order calling for government oversight of advanced AI models.
According to Engadget, the order was reportedly delayed and scaled back after pressure from the tech industry. Trump himself said he "didn't like certain aspects" of it. The original version would have required companies to submit models 90 days before public release, with voluntary participation. The final order reduced that window to just 30 days and requests, rather than requires, that AI firms take part in a benchmarking process.
That process would assess advanced cyber capabilities of AI models and determine whether they should be designated a "covered frontier model," a classification that could limit their distribution and sale.
"It's quite right that democratic governments have a big role to play in how this technology is used and deployed," said George Osborne, OpenAI's head of countries, speaking to CNBC. "What we suggest to governments is they create powerful regulatory bodies, but with a lot of flexibility into how they will operate in the future."
The original order was drafted in consultation with various stakeholders and aimed to balance industry concerns with public safety. Industry insiders including David Sacks and Elon Musk reportedly warned that the original bill could have a chilling effect on AI development, which contributed to the revisions.
Not everyone viewed the final order favorably. "This is underwhelming policy that mirrors the Trump administration's broader pattern of creating a wild west environment for AI development," said Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia who co-leads an AI-focused lawmaker group. Critics said the order fell short of the rules needed to police potentially dangerous models.
OpenAI's decision to comply with the order puts it in line with the government's request, even as the policy debate over how to regulate advanced AI continues in Washington.
