Trump Postpones Signing of Executive Order on AI Safety
- Drafting the AI safety order
- Rising concerns and industry pushback
- The last-minute reversal
- What’s next?
Trump Postpones Signing of Executive Order on AI Safety President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to postpone an executive order on AI safety has laid bare a struggle between calls for stronger oversight of powerful AI models and fears of slowing US tech dominance.
Drafting the AI safety order
In the weeks leading up to May 21, the White House prepared an executive order that would let federal agencies review advanced AI systems—like Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT‑5.5 Cyber—for cybersecurity and misuse risks before public release. A draft obtained by reporters showed the plan was framed as a voluntary oversight system, allowing developers to submit models for review up to 90 days before launch and explicitly rejecting any “mandatory governmental licensing” for new AI models.
Rising concerns and industry pushback
Administration officials grew more alarmed about AI after Anthropic flagged serious cyber risks in its latest model, prompting them to seek expanded voluntary testing of “frontier” systems. But industry leaders worried government reviews could delay releases or force design changes, undermining development timelines. One reported sticking point was a requirement to share advanced models with the government between 14 and 90 days before launch.
As the signing approached, tech CEOs and Trump allies, including former AI adviser David Sacks, voiced strong objections. One industry source called the order “unnecessary” and “just something doomers wanted,” while another said Sacks “hated it.”
The last-minute reversal
A photo‑op signing with top AI executives was scheduled for May 21, but some prominent CEOs declined the invitation, given barely 24 hours’ notice. Trump canceled the event just hours before it was to occur, reportedly angered by the snub, even as other executives were already en route to Washington.
Publicly, Trump said he “didn’t like certain aspects” of the order and worried it “could have been a blocker,” stressing that the US is “leading China” in AI and he did not want to “get in the way of that lead.” Advisers described him as someone who “just hates regulation,” and for now, said one account, “the accelerationists have won out.”
What’s next?
With the order shelved, both the administration and the AI industry are “scrambling to figure out what’s next” for government access to top models and broader AI safety policy. The White House has not indicated if or when a revised order will return, leaving key questions about federal oversight of advanced AI unresolved.
[1] Ars Technica – “Trump abruptly cancels EO signing event after top AI firm CEOs declined to go”
Trump canceled an event to sign an order giving the government power to test frontier AI models before release, after learning some invited CEOs wouldn’t attend on 24 hours’ notice.
[2] Business Insider – “Read the AI executive order Trump didn’t sign”
A draft EO obtained by POLITICO proposed a voluntary oversight system allowing AI developers to submit advanced models for federal review up to 90 days before release, explicitly rejecting mandatory licensing.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ai-oversight-executive-order-draft-2026-5
[3] TechCrunch – “Trump Delays AI Security Executive Order: ‘I Don’t Want to Get in the Way of That Leading’”
The order would have set up a process to evaluate AI models before release, with a disputed requirement to share advanced systems 14–90 days ahead of launch; Trump said the language “could have been a blocker.”
[4] Axios – “Why Trump’s AI executive order was pulled”
Sources said Trump “just hates regulation,” an adviser “hated” the EO, and critics dismissed it as “unnecessary” and “just something doomers wanted,” noting that for now “the accelerationists have won out.”
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/21/trump-ai-executive-order-postponed-why
[5] The Verge – “Trump delayed signing AI executive order because he “didn’t like certain aspects of it.””
Trump said the order “could have been a blocker” for jobs and the “tremendous good” AI is creating, adding, “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.”
[6] Axios – “Read the AI executive order thwarted by Trump tech allies”
Reporters noted the industry and administration are scrambling to determine a path forward as key questions about government access to top AI models and general AI safety remain unanswered.
https://www.axios.com/2026/05/22/ai-executive-order-cancelled-white-house
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