Key facts
- White House will accelerate AI development and use for national security.
- AI must not be used for unlawful surveillance or to censor free speech.
- Leading AI developers will be asked to submit advanced models for government cybersecurity testing.
- Defense Secretary has 90 days to update directives on AI in weapons systems.
The Trump administration is set to accelerate the development and deployment of artificial intelligence for national security purposes, according to a White House announcement. President Donald Trump issued a national security memorandum emphasizing the responsible acceleration of AI across intelligence and warfighting domains, ensuring alignment with American values. The administration also plans to request leading AI developers to voluntarily submit their most advanced models for government cybersecurity testing before public release, addressing growing security concerns surrounding powerful AI systems. Furthermore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been given 90 days to revise existing directives concerning the autonomy of weapons systems to facilitate the deliberate adoption of AI technologies. President Trump explicitly stated that AI should not be utilized to censor free speech or conduct unauthorized surveillance activities. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, noted the memorandum accelerates AI adoption from multiple vendors, updates guidance on autonomous weapons systems, and ensures no entity can disable or degrade an AI system without prior approval. This follows a clash between AI lab Anthropic and the Pentagon, where Anthropic refused to allow its Claude AI to power autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, leading to a supply-chain risk designation.