The White House is considering an independent AI safety regulator modeled on FINRA, per Bloomberg. The proposal follows industry pushback and could reshape oversight for Microsoft, OpenAI and others.
The White House is weighing a plan to create an independent regulator focused on artificial intelligence safety, according to a Bloomberg News report Friday. The proposal, still under review by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, would set up an agency reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission, modeled on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The move follows complaints from Silicon Valley about the government's recent curbs on new AI models from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. An executive order signed in June required voluntary submission of frontier AI models for federal national security testing up to 30 days before release. Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI had agreed to comply.
Bloomberg's sources said the plan aims to satisfy two groups: Wall Street firms seeking to reduce AI cybersecurity risks, and tech companies frustrated with what they see as inconsistent regulation. The proposal could bring more predictability for Anthropic and OpenAI, both of which recently clashed with the government.
The export controls that forced Anthropic to temporarily disable its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models sparked protests. OpenAI made major changes to its newest Sol model before release at the government's request. Both companies argued the restrictions were excessive given the safety questions involved.
The news came days after Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis called for a U.S.-led standards body to independently test advanced AI models for national security risks before release. Speaking to the Financial Times, Hassabis said artificial general intelligence capable of matching the human brain across a broad range of tasks is "probably only a few short years away," leaving society a "precious window" to set up oversight. He proposed an organization similar to FINRA that could become the basis for international standards.
For Microsoft, which has invested heavily in OpenAI and agreed to federal testing, the creation of a dedicated regulator could mean a clearer framework. The company's Alpha Score is 60/100 with a Moderate label, and the stock traded at $393.82 on Friday, down 1.82%, in what traders said was a broader tech pullback rather than a direct reaction to the regulatory news.
A separate PYMNTS report Saturday noted the expanding range of AI-related job titles, offering a counterpoint to the debate about employment and artificial intelligence. "Most discussion centers on how many jobs AI will eliminate," that report said. "Hiring data presents a more complicated picture that includes a weak overall labor market containing a small but rapidly growing neighborhood of AI-related work."
The White House has not set a timeline for the regulator proposal. The executive order from June remains the most concrete policy in place.
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