New executive order shifts US AI policy toward national security
New executive order shifts US AI policy toward national security
Publish Date: 2026-06-09 16:43:00
Source Domain: www.mcdermottlaw.com
On June 2, 2026, President Trump issued an EO titled, Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security, accompanied by a White House fact sheet. The EO’s substantive directives fall into four areas:
- Developing a secure frontier AI model process. Within 60 days, the US Department of the Treasury, the National Security Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency must develop and maintain a classified benchmarking process to assess the advanced cyber capabilities of AI models and to set the threshold at which a model becomes a “covered frontier model.” The three agencies must also design a voluntary framework through which developers can engage the federal government to determine whether a model meets that designation, with the stated goal of providing trusted partners with secure early access to strengthen cybersecurity and promote secure innovation.
- Strengthening government cybersecurity. Within 30 days, federal agencies are directed to quickly prioritize the cyber defense of National Security Systems and US Department of War information systems. Within the same window, the secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security must issue Binding Operational Directives (BODs) and other guidance to expedite the cyber defense of civilian federal systems; expand AI-enabled defensive tools; and facilitate access to cybersecurity tools and services, including (where appropriate) covered frontier models for agencies; state and local authorities; and operators of critical infrastructure such as rural hospitals, community banks, and local utilities.
- Creating an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse. Within 30 days, the secretary of the Treasury must establish a clearinghouse – in voluntary collaboration with the AI industry and critical infrastructure operators – to coordinate scanning for software vulnerabilities, discover and validate them, and prioritize remediation and distribution of vulnerability…
