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Tue, 05 May 2026

Tue, 05 May 2026 US to safety test new AI models from Google, Microsoft, xAI

New agreements between the companies and the Commerce department build on Biden-era pacts.

* Google, Microsoft, and xAI have agreed to submit their AI models for testing by the US Department of Commerce before release to the public.
* The tests will be conducted through the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) and will evaluate the capabilities and security of the AI tools.
* This is an expansion on agreements made by other AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, during the Biden Administration.
* The evaluations will cover testing, collaborative research, and best practice development related to commercial AI systems.
* Google's DeepMind subsidiary has a chatbot called Gemini, while Microsoft's CoPilot is its well-known AI tool. xAI's only product is Grok, a chatbot that has faced scrutiny for issues with image processing.
* CAISI has conducted 40 previous evaluations of AI tools and has stopped certain models from being released to the public without specifying which ones.
* This marks a departure from the Trump Administration's hands-off approach to oversight or regulation of AI and technology companies.