White House finalizes AI framework behind closed doors

The White House said on Monday it met its deadline to establish a voluntary framework for evaluating advanced AI models — but it won't say what the framework contains, who's seen it or when companies will start using it. Why it matters: The framework is being closely watched beyond the industry players it directly applies to. Policymakers, AI safety advocates, and U.S. allies have been waiting to see what the rules for the most powerful models in the world look like. What they're saying: "The voluntary framework outlined in the June 2nd executive order was complete by the deadline," a White House official said. "Discussions with industry about next steps are underway," the official said, adding that the administration is engaging with "many more" industry partners than just Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. Leading up to the deadline, the three labs gave the administration feedback on a draft of the framework. What's inside: The framework is meant to give AI developers a structure for engaging the government to determine whether models under development would be covered. The framework is supposed to spell out the confidentiality, cybersecurity, insider-risk, intellectual-property protection use and nondisclosure requirements that would apply when the government gets access to models for up to 30 days before they're released. The framework should also include which "trusted partners" will also have early access to models. Zoom in: The executive order explicitly says the benchmarking process to assess advanced cyber capabilities of AI models will be classified. The threshold for which models are covered under the order is also classified and will only be shared with AI developers and researchers "as appropriate." The order does not similarly designate the voluntary framework as classified, and policymakers and other observers expected to see details. Between the lines: Companies are seeking clarity early so they know whether models under development are likely to fall under the framework. "Just because things are unclassified that doesn't mean we are going to broadcast them to everyone," the White House official said. What's next: The White House will hold a staff-level meeting with companies on Tuesday to review the framework, a source familiar said.