The gist: Trump delays an AI regulation with optional pre-release review by federal agencies, citing concerns with certain aspects and fears of impeding US competition against China.
President Trump has abruptly halted the planned signing of an AI regulation. The draft provided for a voluntary review system in which developers of advanced AI models could have their products examined by federal agencies up to 90 days before release.
POLITICO has obtained the seven-page regulatory draft that Trump was supposed to sign on Thursday. The document aims to address concerns regarding potential cyberattacks and other dangers posed by advanced AI products – such as those from Anthropic – should they fall into the wrong hands.
The draft contains an explicit provision stating that the proposed reviews are voluntary: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the creation of mandatory federal licensing, pre-approval, or authorization requirements for the development, release, publication, or distribution of new AI models, including frontier models.” However, David Sacks, former AI policy coordinator for the Trump administration, warned that these voluntary reviews could later become mandatory.
The draft also addresses the unlawful use of AI. It requires the Attorney General to enforce the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other federal laws against actors who use AI for unauthorized access to computers or to cause damage, or who employ AI in other crimes.
Senior representatives from major tech companies were invited to the planned signing ceremony at the White House. However, Trump told reporters: “I didn’t like certain aspects of it,” and expressed concerns that the regulation could slow efforts by the US to overtake China in the AI race. When and in what form the regulation might be signed remains unclear.
Source: ainews-dev.lumi-systems.io · Published 22 May 2026
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