OpenAI has signaled support for a new phase of government involvement in artificial intelligence development, confirming it will comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring leading AI companies to give federal authorities advance access to powerful models before they are publicly released.
The move places the ChatGPT developer among the first major frontier AI companies to publicly endorse the administration’s effort to establish a formal oversight framework for capable AI systems, a technology many policymakers now view as carrying national security, economic, and societal implications.
Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the SXSW conference in London, OpenAI’s Head of Countries, George Osborne, said the company would participate in the voluntary federal review process outlined in the executive order.
“It’s quite right that democratic governments have a big role to play in how this technology is used and deployed,” Osborne said.
This provides a glimpse into how leading AI developers are adapting to growing government scrutiny as the race to build more powerful models accelerates.
Trump’s executive order, signed earlier this week, requests that AI developers provide the federal government with access to new frontier models at least 30 days before their release. The aim is to allow officials to evaluate their capabilities and assess potential risks before deployment.
Under the framework, participating companies would submit models for benchmarking designed to measure advanced cyber capabilities and determine whether a system qualifies as a “covered frontier model,” a designation expected to trigger additional monitoring and safety requirements.
The policy reflects mounting concern in Washington that rapidly advancing AI systems could be used for cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, biological research, or other activities with national security implications. OpenAI’s willingness to participate suggests the company sees closer cooperation with governments as increasingly unavoidable as AI capabilities continue to expand.
Osborne said the company has long advocated structured engagement with regulators and policymakers rather than waiting for governments to impose rules unilaterally.
“As this leading frontier lab with these very, very powerful and capable AI models, and we don’t wait to be asked,” he said.
“We proactively suggested ways that governments can keep a track on safety and security issues, not just in the U.S., but more broadly.”
His remarks highlight a significant shift in the AI industry. Not quite long ago, many technology firms argued that heavy regulation could stifle innovation. Today, some of the sector’s largest players are actively helping shape regulatory frameworks, partly because they recognize that public trust and government support may become critical competitive advantages.
The executive order is also a reflection of a broader trend toward government oversight of frontier AI systems. Policymakers in the United States, Europe, China, and several other jurisdictions are increasingly exploring mechanisms that would allow regulators to assess advanced models before deployment.
The debate centers on how to balance innovation with safety.
Supporters of oversight argue that governments need visibility into the capabilities of cutting-edge AI systems before they reach the public, particularly as models become more autonomous and capable of carrying out complex tasks. Critics, however, warn that excessive government involvement could slow innovation, create barriers for smaller developers, and concentrate power among a handful of large technology companies that can afford extensive compliance requirements.
Osborne acknowledged that policymakers face a difficult balancing act.
“Governments are going to have to be smart” about regulating artificial intelligence, he said.
Rather than rigid rules that may quickly become outdated, OpenAI is advocating for regulatory institutions that can adapt alongside the technology.
“What we suggest to governments is they create powerful regulatory bodies, but with a lot of flexibility into how they will operate in the future,” Osborne added.
The company’s support for the executive order comes at a pivotal moment for the AI industry. Competition among leading developers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and other frontier labs, has intensified as firms race toward advanced systems that many researchers believe could approach artificial general intelligence within the coming decade.
That competition has heightened concerns among governments seeking to ensure that national security considerations keep pace with technological progress. In the U.S., the federal government has moved to stop states from creating regulatory rules for AI, resulting in a standoff.
With no AI regulatory framework developed so far, the broader significance of this move may extend beyond the United States. As governments worldwide grapple with how to regulate powerful AI systems, the arrangement could become a model for future cooperation between states and frontier AI developers.






