President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at strengthening U.S. cybersecurity with advanced artificial intelligence while expanding cooperation between federal agencies and leading AI companies.
“Advanced AI capabilities make our nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies (agencies), and components,” the executive order reads. “As these capabilities evolve, my administration will continue to work closely with industry to ensure that the best and most secure technology is deployed rapidly to confront any and all threats to our country.”
The order also directs agencies to establish a classified review process under which the National Security Agency would determine whether advanced AI systems qualify as covered frontier models.
Critics of Trump’s executive order say the framework relies too heavily on voluntary cooperation from the AI companies it is meant to oversee.
“Models powerful enough to threaten cybersecurity and national security warrant real oversight,” J.B. Branch, AI governance and technology policy counsel at consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen, said in a statement. “Congress and the administration should enact comprehensive federal AI legislation with enforceable safeguards, transparency requirements, independent testing, and meaningful protections for workers, consumers, children, and civil rights."
