CAISI Signs Agreements Regarding Frontier AI National Security Testing With Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI

The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the Department of Commerce announced on May 5, 2026, that it has signed agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI to conduct pre-deployment evaluations and targeted research on frontier AI models. The agreements are focused on assessing AI capabilities and advancing national security, though specific terms were not disclosed.

CAISI stated that the partnerships aim to 'better assess frontier AI capabilities and advance AI security' through collaborative testing. The companies will voluntarily submit their models for evaluation prior to deployment. The agreement is non-binding and does not impose legal requirements on the companies.

CAISI was established to develop standards and innovation in AI. The agency noted that these are initial agreements and expects to announce additional partnerships in the future. The Department of Commerce emphasized the voluntary nature of the agreements as a positive step toward industry-government cooperation on AI safety.