The White House is reportedly considering the establishment of a dedicated regulatory body aimed at ensuring the safety of artificial intelligence technologies.
A recent report from Bloomberg News indicated that this initiative stems from concerns raised by Silicon Valley regarding the government's recent restrictions on new AI frameworks from notable companies like Anthropic and OpenAI.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the proposal—under review by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles—would create an independent regulator for AI, which would report to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This structure is expected to mirror that of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Bloomberg's coverage suggested that this move could offer greater clarity for companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, which have faced challenges due to government-imposed export controls. Recently, Anthropic was forced to temporarily halt its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, while OpenAI made significant adjustments to its Sol model prior to its launch, following government guidance.
Both companies expressed their dissatisfaction with these regulatory actions, arguing that the government's measures were excessive in relation to the associated safety concerns.
Sources indicated that this regulatory proposal aims to address the aspirations of Wall Street firms looking to mitigate cybersecurity threats posed by AI, as well as technology companies that perceive the White House's current regulatory stance as inconsistent.
The proposal emerged just days after Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis advocated for the creation of a U.S.-led standards organization tasked with independently testing advanced AI models for potential national security risks before their deployment. He emphasized that artificial general intelligence, which could rival human cognitive abilities across various tasks, is likely just a few years away, presenting a limited opportunity to establish necessary oversight.
Hassabis suggested that a U.S.-led entity could set international benchmarks as governments work to manage the risks associated with rapidly advancing AI systems.
Earlier in June, the White House had already begun implementing measures for prerelease oversight, issuing an executive order that called for voluntary access to certain frontier models for federal evaluation up to 30 days before their release. Companies such as Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI agreed to provide their models for national security assessments.
In other developments related to AI, a report from PYMNTS highlighted the growing array of job titles in the field, offering a counter-narrative to discussions focused on AI-driven job losses. It noted that while concerns about job elimination are prevalent, hiring data reveals a more nuanced situation, showcasing a weak overall labor market yet a rapidly expanding sector of AI-related employment opportunities.
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