Trump delays AI security executive order, citing competition with China
Former President Donald Trump has opted to postpone the signing of a significant executive order mandating government assessments of artificial intelligence systems prior to their release. During a recent press conference, he expressed dissatisfaction with sections of the order, fearing it could hinder innovation. Additionally, the delay was attributed to the absence of key tech executives, who were unable to travel to Washington, D.C. on short notice. The initiative aimed to involve the Office of the National Cyber Director in overseeing security measures for AI technologies, especially concerning concerns surrounding models from Anthropic and OpenAI.
Key facts
- President Donald Trump delayed signing an AI security executive order.
- Trump said he was unhappy with the order's language and concerned it could be a blocker.
- The U.S. is leading China and other countries in AI, according to Trump.
- The delay was partly due to insufficient tech CEOs attending the signing ceremony.
- The order would have tasked the Office of the National Cyber Director with evaluating AI models before release.
- Concerns arose from Anthropic's Mythos and OpenAI's GPT-5.5 Cyber, which can exploit security vulnerabilities.
- A proposed requirement would have AI companies share models with the government 14-90 days before launch.
- The source is TechCrunch, dated May 21, 2026.
Entities
Institutions
- Office of the National Cyber Director
- Anthropic
- OpenAI
- CNN
- TechCrunch
- White House
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States
- China