Trump admin floats policy language limiting contractor say on agency uses of technology
Trump admin floats policy language limiting contractor say on agency uses of technology
Publish Date: 2026-05-05 14:12:00
Source Domain: www.nextgov.com
The federal government is circulating draft policy documents that contain language clarifying the government’s ability to use private sector technology without outside stipulations for how they do so, two sources familiar with their development told Nextgov/FCW.
While it remains unclear if the language being passed between various government agencies — namely the Department of Defense and components of the Trump administration — will manifest into an executive order or finalized policy, that language centers on ensuring the government has control over how its acquired technology products are used.
One source familiar with the ongoing development told Nextgov/FCW that the goal of the language is to clarify that “it is for that democratically elected government to determine what is a lawful and appropriate use of a particular technology, not solely a company.”
The White House is mulling an executive order that would create a working group for AI models before they are deployed, according to a person familiar with the matter. The New York Times first reported the administration’s consideration of the order. It’s not clear if the contracting language is a separate initiative or would be a provision embedded into a forthcoming directive.
Other language featured in the draft documents examines how the government can manage emerging cybersecurity threats posed by AI models like Anthropic’s Mythos Preview and OpenAI’s GPT 5.5, according to the same source and another person familiar with the matter.
The discussions and draft documents highlight how the Trump administration is looking to take a more hands-on approach on the AI sector, despite prior policy positions that signaled a more permissive environment for the evolving technology.
“There is likely going to be another wave of AI government statements,” the first source said.
When asked to confirm the existence of these documents, a White House official told Nextgov/FCW that “any policy…
