Trump Postpones Signing of AI Executive Order
PUBLISHED May 21, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump postponed a planned Thursday Oval Office signing of a new executive order on artificial intelligence after reviewing the order's text and saying he did not want to jeopardize U.S. leadership in AI. He announced the change hours before the ceremony and told reporters the measure might 'get in the way' of that lead. The directive would have established a voluntary framework for vetting national security risks posed by the most advanced AI systems, and a person familiar with White House deliberations said participating U.S. firms discussed included Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. Banking and financial institutions raised cybersecurity concerns in April, prompting industry-government discussions that will continue following the postponement.
By Sarah Whitman | JQJO News
Timeline of Events
- April: Financial and industry leaders met with officials to discuss AI cybersecurity risks.
- April–May: White House and tech companies held deliberations on a voluntary vetting framework.
- A Thursday signing was scheduled in the Oval Office to formalize the directive.
- President reviewed the order's text and decided to postpone the signing hours before the event.
- Postponement announced publicly; further review and continued industry-government discussions were indicated.
News Intelligence
- AI is everywhere - from your phone to your bank. This order could change how AI is used and monitored. It could affect your privacy and security. Keep an eye on this story.
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Tech companies named in White House deliberations—Anthropic, OpenAI and Google—saw a delay in an administratively coordinated, voluntary vetting process that could have imposed pre-release evaluations.
Federal agencies, financial institutions and other stakeholders concerned about AI cybersecurity risks experienced a postponement of planned executive-led vetting and coordination measures.
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