US in talks with AI companies for voluntary model standards, FT reports

The artificial intelligence AI acronym at the 10th edition of the VivaTech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris, France, Jun 18, 2026. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

The US government is in advanced talks with AI companies to create voluntary standards for the release of new models, with an announcement possible as soon as next week, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Washington has tightened oversight of new model releases to flag risks amid concerns advanced AI could be misused by military intelligence in China, Russia or other countries of concern.

The standards would set benchmarks for advanced models and timelines, while clarifying who can access them in the United States and abroad, according to the FT report.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House, Anthropic, and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment outside regular business hours.

In June, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to work with leading AI developers to test advanced models before release, and to draft standards for them.

Google has been in talks with the government ahead of the release of advanced coding models with more sophisticated capabilities, a source told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that the company was also involved in broader discussions on industry standards. FT first reported the details.

The US Commerce Department on Tuesday lifted export controls on Anthropic's most advanced Fable and Mythos models, less than three weeks after ordering their suspension over national security concerns.

OpenAI has also faced constraints. Last week, it delayed a full public launch of GPT-5.6 at the US government's request, limiting access to a small group of vetted partners. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for IPOs.