Some technology and policy watchers were surprised when President Donald Trump signed an executive order on June 2, 2026, establishing a framework for AI security. It seemed to move in a different direction from a December 2025 executive order that sought to create a “minimally burdensome” national framework for artificial intelligence and supersede state laws the administration saw as restrictive.
The new executive order focuses on using AI to boost the security of federal and private computer systems. It also aims to ensure that the federal government has access to major new AI models before they are released to the public, to determine if they pose a threat.
