Trump Abruptly Calls Off Signing of Order on AI

President Trump abruptly delayed signing an executive order on expanding federal oversight of artificial intelligence on Thursday, saying he "didn't like certain aspects" of what he saw in the text. The order, described by Trump as requiring AI firms to show their models to the government before release, was pulled just hours before a planned Oval Office event with major tech CEOs, the Wall Street Journal reports. Trump said such a requirement could hamper America in its rivalry with China on AI, which some analysts argue Beijing currently leads.

"I didn't like certain aspects of it, I postponed it," Trump said, per Axios. "We're leading China, we're leading everybody, and I don't want to do anything that gets in the way of that lead." He said of the order, "I really thought that could have been a blocker and I want to make sure that it's not." Earlier Thursday, sources told the New York Times that the order would direct agencies including the Office of the National Cyber Director to develop a process for identifying security vulnerabilities before new AI models are released.

The pause underscores ongoing fractures inside the administration over how tightly to regulate powerful AI systems, the Journal reports. Some officials have pushed for tougher safeguards and stronger cybersecurity measures in response to models such as Anthropic's Mythos, while others warn that aggressive rules could undercut innovation. The White House told tech companies the signing would be postponed, but offered no new date.