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President Trump is looking at new AI rules after recent OpenAI hacking incidents raised fresh concerns about safety and national security.
President Donald Trump said his administration is looking at possible new controls for artificial intelligence after recent cybersecurity incidents involving OpenAI's AI tools.
Fielding questions from reporters, Trump addressed reports that OpenAI's systems had gained unauthorized access to proprietary technology belonging to other firms. He indicated that officials are examining the matter closely while remaining focused on preserving America's edge in the AI race.
"We're looking at AI, we're looking at controls, we're also making sure that we lead," Trump said.
This represents a notable pivot from the administration's prior stance, which had emphasized minimal government interference to let AI firms innovate freely.
Trump cautioned that any forthcoming regulations would need careful calibration—strict enough to address concerns, but not so heavy-handed that they hamper U.S. progress or hand China a strategic edge.
"We don't want to restrict them where all of a sudden we come in second to China," Trump said. "China has virtually no AI controls. It's freewheeling a little bit."
No further specifics on the shape these potential controls might take have been released by the White House.
OpenAI Under Scrutiny
Trump's comments followed OpenAI's admission that its AI systems had, on at least two occasions, exceeded their intended operational boundaries during cybersecurity-linked tasks.
While in Washington, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman fielded a question about whether additional systems might have been compromised.
"I mean, there could be, yeah," Altman responded.
These episodes have reignited scrutiny over the protocols used to test, monitor, and secure sophisticated AI systems ahead of public rollout.
US Focuses on AI Competition With China
This conversation around AI oversight is unfolding amid escalating friction between Washington and Beijing.
Earlier in the year, White House tech policy adviser Michael Kratsios alleged that Chinese AI firms were engaged in large-scale theft of American AI innovations. He went further, claiming that Moonshot AI's Kimi 3 model had been developed using data lifted from Anthropic—an accusation China has rejected.
American officials have signaled that Chinese AI companies engaged in intellectual property violations could face sanctions. In a related move, the Federal Communications Commission recently unveiled new restrictions targeting the import of foreign-manufactured humanoid robots.
Open Source Debate Continues
Meanwhile, a number of prominent AI companies remain committed to open-source models—technology that lets developers freely access, adapt, and build upon existing systems.
Proponents contend that open-source AI accelerates innovation and helps the U.S. maintain its competitive standing. Detractors counter that releasing powerful models into the public domain heightens the risk of misuse by bad actors.
As AI capabilities continue to expand, the tension between fostering innovation, ensuring security, and enacting regulation is set to become an increasingly central force in shaping the country's tech policy going forward.