Trump Orders AI Models to Check In With Government Before Launch

The executive order introduces a "voluntary framework" — which is basically a polite way of saying you don't have to, but you probably should. AI companies are being asked to share their frontier models (the really smart ones) with the feds before going public, all in the name of "secure innovation" and protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. In other words, Trump and crew want to make sure nobody's cooking up a rogue AI in someone's garage before you all get access to it.

Here's where it gets deliciously contradictory: the administration claims this protects American AI from stagnation caused by over-regulation. Instead of strangling innovation with red tape, this order promises to let companies run wild... as long as they first have a friendly chat with federal agents. Get it? It's the regulatory equivalent of a wink and a nod.

Of course, there's the usual political theater. A "voluntary framework" sounds way less invasive than an actual legal mandate, which is perfect if you want to look pro-business without looking completely asleep at the wheel. But for big tech companies, the reality is that refusing to cooperate is probably not a great career move — it's basically declining an interview with the FBI and hoping nobody notices.

There are a few juicy questions lurking here. First: who decides what "safe" actually means? When the government looks inside your models, what exactly do they do? Read the code? Run tests? Get a sneak peek at trade secrets? It's charmingly vague. Second: what happens if the government says "nah, we don't like this one"? Can you still release it? The document doesn't say, which is a fancy way of admitting nobody knows.

For big tech, this is the usual compromise. Companies get the benefit of a framework that looks light on paper, the government gets a seat at the table, and the rest of us are left wondering if anyone actually has a clue what's happening. Meanwhile, AI keeps evolving faster than any executive order can keep up.