OpenAI wants the federal government to require mandatory evaluations of advanced AI models for potential risks. That puts the company at odds with President Trump’s recent executive order, which explicitly prohibits mandatory licensing or preclearance for frontier AI systems.
Where OpenAI and the White House disagree
Trump’s executive order, dated June 2, 2026, establishes a voluntary government review process for what it calls “covered frontier models” with certain cyber capabilities. That review window maxes out at 30 days, down from a previously proposed 90-day period. The operative word here is voluntary.
OpenAI’s new policy paper calls for mandatory third-party evaluations, not optional ones. And it wants civilian agencies, not defense or intelligence bodies, to oversee the process.
The Trump EO distributes oversight responsibilities across the Treasury, Defense Department, NSA, CISA, and Commerce Department. It’s a framework built around national security priorities rather than broad civilian regulatory authority.
