Anticipated executive order could give NSA a role in voluntary AI model testing

White House officials are planning a provision in a forthcoming artificial intelligence executive order that would establish a voluntary information-sharing framework between the government and AI developers to facilitate safety testing of AI models before deployment, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The National Security Agency is expected to play a key role under the order and would potentially handle classified testing of models offered up by AI labs before those models are publicly distributed, said some of the people. All sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details concerning the order, which they said could be unveiled later this week. 

The people also cautioned that decisionmaking in the White House is highly fluid and that details and timing around the final version of the directive may change. 

The deliberations over a voluntary framework underscore how the White House is trying to balance competing views within the administration, with some officials and allies pushing for stronger AI safeguards and others favoring a more hands-off approach to the technology to encourage innovation, a stance that’s consistent with prior policy actions.

The plans also appear to show that the Trump administration prefers the intelligence community to lead on AI model testing. The Washington Post reported this month that spy agencies and the Commerce Department are at odds over who should handle model evaluation tasks.

An NSA spokesperson referred Nextgov/FCW to the White House. 

“Any policy announcement will come directly from the president. Discussion about potential executive orders is speculation,” a White House official told Nextgov/FCW.

Axios first reported details about the order.

Voluntary pre-deployment testing could give government officials an opportunity to evaluate advanced AI models for cyber-related risks before they are broadly released, including whether the systems can assist with vulnerability discovery.

The administration’s approach to AI has evolved with the emergence of Anthropic’s Mythos Preview, an advanced cybersecurity-focused AI model that has become a major catalyst for the discussions, as officials grapple with how powerful AI tools can identify vulnerabilities across computer networks, including critical infrastructure systems. OpenAI also recently released GPT-5.5, a similar model that can swiftly identify vulnerabilities and assist with complex cyber tasks.

AI-focused information-sharing is not an entirely new concept for the administration. President Donald Trump’s AI Action Plan released last summer called for multiple agencies to establish an AI Information-Sharing Analysis Center to promote sharing of AI-related security threat information across critical infrastructure sectors. 

Last week, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said it would be “insane” for U.S. intelligence agencies to not have early access to advanced artificial intelligence models that could be used for hacking and cyberdefense. He added that the Commerce Department should also play a role in the effort.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comment from the White House.