Policy & Regulation

White House tells OpenAI and Anthropic to let U.S. review new models before sharing them with British testers

· September 25, 2026
White House tells OpenAI and Anthropic to let U.S. review new models before sharing them with British testers

What happened

The White House has instructed OpenAI and Anthropic to delay sharing new AI models with the U.K.’s AI Safety Institute until U.S. government agencies have completed their review. This move enforces a review process for safety and security before allowing international testers access to the latest AI developments.

Why it matters

This direction raises the bar on how AI companies manage model releases across borders. It pressures OpenAI and Anthropic to factor in U.S. regulatory oversight before exposing their latest systems to external parties. For companies building or integrating AI, this means potential delays and compliance steps when working with international partners or testers. It also signals a tighter U.S. grip on the AI safety approval pathway, potentially slowing down collaborative international safety evaluations but reinforcing control over risk management.

What to watch next

The timeline and rigor of these U.S. reviews will reveal how willing the government is to act as a gatekeeper for AI safety internationally. Other AI firms may face similar demands, adding complexity to cross-border model testing and deployment. Operators should watch for updates on specific criteria or frameworks the U.S. uses to approve these models and how this impacts the cadence of model improvements and external audits.

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