On June 2, 2026, the White House issued an executive order titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security” (the “Order”). The Order reflects the Administration’s stated policy of advancing U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence (“AI”) while addressing national security risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems. To accomplish these policy goals, the Order outlines two approaches: (1) strengthening U.S. Government and private industry cyber defenses in response to “advanced AI,” and (2) developing voluntary benchmarking and review frameworks for secure development and release of “frontier” AI models.
While the Order establishes a process for government and industry collaboration on AI security, the voluntary nature of this process and its specific focus on cybersecurity reflect the Administration’s stated commitment of avoiding burdensome federal regulation of AI technology while at the same time protecting critical infrastructure and national security information systems against new cyber threats posed by “advanced AI.” Because several of these directives are outlined only at a high level, the practical impact of the Order will depend significantly on subsequent agency implementation efforts. Likewise, the Order itself does not define key terms, including “advanced AI” and “covered frontier models,” that will be important to understanding the scope of the Order.
Strengthening Cyber Defenses in Response to “Advanced AI”
First, the Order directs a series of actions across federal agencies to strengthen cyber defense in response to “advanced AI.” In particular, the Order directs agencies to take the following actions within 30 days:
- The Committee on National Security Systems and the U.S. Department of War must take “appropriate and expeditious actions” to prioritize the cyber defense of National Security Systems and Department of War information systems.
- The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”), in consultation with other Agencies, must release Binding Operational Directives and other guidance as appropriate to expedite and prioritize cyber defense of civilian U.S. Government information systems, establish or expand Federal programs and cybersecurity services that enhance AI-enabled defensive tools, and facilitate access to cybersecurity tools and services (including, where appropriate, covered frontier models) for agencies, state and local authorities, and operators of critical infrastructure.
- The Secretary of the Treasury, along with the National Security Agency and CISA, must form an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse in “voluntary collaboration” with the AI industry and operators of critical infrastructure to (i) coordinate and deconflict on scanning for software vulnerabilities, (ii) discover and validate such vulnerabilities, and (iii) coordinate and prioritize remediation and distribution of vulnerability patches.
- The Office of Management and Budget, the National Cyber Director, and CISA must determine whether any Federal grant programs have available and relevant funds that can be directed to applicants developing advanced AI vulnerability detection.
The Order also directs federal agencies to accelerate hiring of cybersecurity specialists within 60 days and directs the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of applicable federal criminal laws against AI-driven cybercrime.
Outlining Framework for Voluntary Assessment and Review of “Covered Frontier Models” Prior to Their Planned Release
In addition to measures to strengthen cyber defense, the Order outlines a framework for U.S. Government and private sector collaboration in the secure development and deployment of frontier AI models. However, the Order emphasizes that its approach is voluntary and should not be construed as a mandatory licensing, permitting, or preclearance requirement. Specified agencies are directed to develop and maintain a benchmarking process, which will be classified under U.S. national security authorities, to determine which AI models should be considered “covered frontier models” and to assess models’ “advanced cyber capabilities.” This benchmarking is intended to establish a mechanism for AI developers to provide the U.S. Government with limited access to covered frontier models (up to 30 days prior to planned release) before sharing early access to these models with “select trusted partners” in the private sector.