White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released

Oh, *marvellous*. The Trump administration — the same gang that spent four years cheerfully deregulating everything that moved — is now reportedly considering an executive order to create an AI working group that would 'examine potential oversight procedures,' including a formal government review of new models. Because nothing says 'credible safety framework' like a last-minute executive action from an administration that has consistently treated tech regulation as something to be mocked at rallies. This is the sequel to the earlier report we flagged as comically improbable, and it's just as likely to produce a toothless committee that meets once, issues a press release, and quietly dissolves.

The working group will 'examine' oversight. Examine. Not implement. Not enforce. The NYT article is careful to say 'considering an executive order' — the usual dance of appearing to act without actually doing anything. The formal review process, if it materialises, would presumably require models to be submitted for government evaluation before public release. Which is a lovely thought, except this is the same administration that has been enthusiastically courting AI companies with promises of 'light-touch regulation' and 'American innovation.' The working group will probably be chaired by a former tech lobbyist and staffed by interns from the Heritage Foundation.

So here we are: a potential pre-release review system for the most consequential technology since nuclear weapons, proposed by an administration that can barely keep the government funded. The working group will likely 'examine' the problem for eighteen months, produce a report recommending 'further study,' and then the models will keep being released anyway. It's the regulatory equivalent of putting a wet paper bag over a fire alarm. Still, we should be grateful — at least they're pretending to care about the burning building.