The White House has time until August 1 to finalize voluntary standards for top AI models

On June 2, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order, "Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security," giving federal agencies 60 days — until August 1 — to finalize a voluntary early-access scheme for the most powerful AI models, Latham & Watkins reports.

How the scheme is meant to work

Developers of "covered frontier models" would be able to voluntarily give the federal government access to models still under development — up to 30 days before their release to other "trusted partners." The order is explicit that it

“does not create any mandatory governmental licensing, pre-clearance, or permitting requirement for the development, publication, release, or distribution of new AI models”

— from the text of the executive order

Quote source: Latham & Watkins.

Who's in charge of assessing the risk

The Treasury, Defense (via the National Security Agency), and Homeland Security (via CISA) departments must jointly develop a classified process for assessing AI models' advanced cyber capabilities and set the thresholds for what counts as a "covered frontier model." That methodology — alongside the voluntary developer-engagement framework itself — is what's due by August 1.

Where the talks stand

According to Eastern Herald on July 6, the White House and three leading AI labs are already nearing a deal on voluntary standards, with an announcement expected before August 1. The question of trust between US authorities and major AI developers echoes other recent tech disputes — including the administration's recent accusation against China's Moonshot AI.

None of this should be read as personalized investment advice.