The Trump administration is no longer taking a noninterventionist approach to the technology; they are discussing imposing oversight on AI before it becomes publicly available.
Having given Silicon Valley free rein to roll out the technology, US President Donald Trump is now considering introducing government oversight amid growing fears of an AI-powered cyberattack, as White House officials told AI company executives about plans for a working group of tech and government officials to examine potential oversight procedures in meetings last week.
White House officials said that the review process may be similar to the procedure being developed in Britain, which assigns several government bodies to ensure that AI models meet certain safety standards.
The administration’s previous position
These discussions mark a sharp pivot in the president’s attitude towards AI technology.
Speaking at an AI event in July 2025, Trump said, “We’re going to make this industry absolutely the top, because right now it’s a beautiful baby that’s born, we have to grow that baby and let that baby thrive. We can’t stop it. We can’t stop it with politics. We can’t stop it with foolish rules and even stupid rules.”
Over his second term, Trump has found himself increasingly isolated in his stance on AI as concerns mount about the threats that the technology may pose to jobs, education, privacy, and mental health.
Concerns about the increased use of AI in daily life have united Democrats and Republicans - a Pew Research Center poll in 2025 found that 50% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats are more concerned than excited about the technology’s development and increasing popularity.
What prompted the sudden change in attitude
Last month, the technology start-up Anthropic announced a new AI model called Mythos.
Mythos is incredibly powerful at identifying security vulnerabilities in software. Anthropic declined to release the model to the public, stating that doing so could lead to a cybersecurity “reckoning.”
The White House doesn’t want to be held responsible for any political repercussions if a devastating AI-enabled cyberattack were to occur, according to administration reports.
They are also analyzing whether the new models could have cyber-capabilities useful to the Pentagon or US intelligence agencies.
White House leadership’s position on regulation
The changing policy on AI coincides with a leadership change within the White House. In March, David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar, stepped down from his role, leaving Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to fill in his position.
These regulatory moves take the administration away from the stance that Vice President JD Vance outlined at the international AI gathering in Paris last year, where he warned that “excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off.”
“The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety,” he added, “It will be won by building.”
It is not yet known to what extent the industry will be regulated by the Trump administration’s new plan.