President Donald Trump said Thursday he postponed the signing of an AI executive order because parts of the proposal could undermine the U.S. position in the global AI race with China. The order, first announced earlier this month, would have established a voluntary AI review framework where companies provide the federal government early access to advanced models before public release for national security testing. It also included provisions for critical infrastructure providers like banks to receive pre-release access and a cybersecurity component to identify vulnerabilities in unreleased AI models. Trump did not specify which aspects he opposed but stated, 'I didn't like certain aspects of it. I think it gets in the way of—we’re leading China. We’re leading everybody.' The announcement came amid growing national security concerns about advanced AI, particularly after Anthropic's Claude Mythos demonstrated the ability to identify software vulnerabilities and execute complex cyber operations. Meanwhile, major AI companies like OpenAI and Google have expanded partnerships with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies. Trump also noted he discussed AI with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who acknowledged the U.S. lead. The administration may revisit the order at an unspecified later date.

Key facts

• Trump halted AI executive order signing over concerns it could slow U.S. lead against China.
• The order would have established a voluntary AI review framework with pre-release government access.
• Trump did not specify which provisions he opposed or when the order might be revisited.
• Claude Mythos demonstrated advanced cybersecurity capabilities, raising national security concerns.
• Xi Jinping acknowledged U.S. AI lead during a meeting with Trump, Trump said.