- The Presidency
- Science & Technology
- Innovation
- Artificial Intelligence
- Politics, Institutions, and Public Opinion
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
- Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance
President Trump’s June 2 executive order on artificial intelligence is less ambitious than one he withdrew without signing last month. The earlier order “could’ve been a blocker” to American AI development, he said. The new one is better, but the thinking behind it still rests on a dangerous confusion.
The signed order directs federal agencies to strengthen defenses against advanced AI systems and creates a voluntary framework for labs to share frontier models with the government before public release. It explicitly prohibits interpreting the executive order as mandating licensing or preclearance. The administration wants to gain visibility into frontier capabilities without slowing American labs and advantaging China.
To read the working paper, click here.
