President Donald Trump postponed signing a planned executive order on artificial intelligence hours before a scheduled White House ceremony on May 21, 2026, saying he feared the measure could undermine U.S. competitiveness against China.
Trump told reporters he did not like certain aspects of the draft and delayed the order because government review of frontier AI models could act as a blocker. The directive would have established a voluntary framework for national security agencies to vet advanced systems before public release, involving companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google.
Sources said the draft contemplated up to 90 days of review for covered frontier models, though industry leaders pushed for shorter timelines. Tech executives had been invited to an Oval Office signing that was abruptly canceled, with some already en route to Washington.
The postponement marked a shift from the administration’s prior hands-off approach to AI and came as the White House has opposed state-level AI safety laws. Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday the administration seeks to balance innovation with cybersecurity and privacy concerns.
Politico reported that some technology executives scheduled for the signing did not attend, contributing to the delay. The draft order emerged from fears that advanced AI could pose national security risks, reversing earlier administration reluctance to screen commercial models. Industry groups had pushed for a 14-day review window instead of 90 days. It remains unclear when or whether a revised order will be signed.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://dailycuratednews.substack.com/p/news-headlines-may-22-2026