Trump Delays AI Executive Order Citing Concerns Over U.S. Competitiveness

President Donald Trump abruptly postponed the signing of a highly anticipated executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) Thursday afternoon, citing concerns that the order could hinder the United States’ leadership in AI development. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office during an unrelated event, Trump said, “Because I didn’t like certain aspects of it, I postponed it. I think it gets in the way of, you know, we’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead.”

The executive order, reportedly in development for weeks, was expected to direct federal agencies to enhance cybersecurity defenses and establish a voluntary framework for collaboration with leading AI companies. This framework would have involved pre-public access testing of advanced AI models to ensure safety and security before their release. Sources familiar with the draft said the order aimed to secure Pentagon and federal civilian systems and promote the use of AI tools to strengthen critical infrastructure such as utility companies and rural hospitals.

The order was also set to formalize how the federal government oversees the most advanced AI models. It would have tasked agencies including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy with determining which AI models should be subject to voluntary testing and evaluation. The administration has already been collaborating with major AI companies through the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) within the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to test AI models for safety concerns.

Vice President JD Vance, in a news conference the day before, emphasized the administration’s focus on protecting data and privacy, referencing the recent debut of Anthropic’s Mythos Preview model. Mythos demonstrated the ability to autonomously discover thousands of severe cybersecurity vulnerabilities, raising concerns about potential misuse by bad actors. Anthropic has limited access to Mythos to select technology companies and government agencies to bolster cybersecurity defenses.

The planned signing of the executive order was to include major tech CEOs, some of whom could not attend on short notice. The delay leaves uncertain if or when the order will be signed. Trump’s decision follows his repeal on his first day in office of a key AI executive order from the Biden administration, which had required AI companies to share internal testing results and security protocols. Unlike Biden’s order, the new draft focused on voluntary cooperation rather than mandatory disclosures.

Trump described AI as causing “tremendous good” and creating many jobs in the U.S., adding, “I really thought that could have been a blocker, and I want to make sure that it’s not.” The specific provisions that led to the postponement have not been publicly detailed.