AI Politics: Trump's Executive Order Dance and Anthropic's Strategic Moves

JUST IN: Trump's stance on AI is wavering like a seesaw. Once praising AI as a 'beautiful baby,' he's now contemplating an executive order for AI model reviews before release. This isn't just a policy shift. It's a wild ride where Anthropic seems to be steering the wheel.

The Executive Order Tango

In May 2026, whispers of an executive order swirled. The plan? A government review of AI models before public release. But Trump, true to form, flipped the script. He postponed it, reportedly unhappy with parts labeling him a regulator. The White House then morphed it into a voluntary review commitment. Trump dodges the 'regulator' label, yet the outcome remains: oversight is creeping in.

Why the shift? Two main reasons: David Sacks, a notable anti-regulation voice, exited as AI czar, and bipartisan concerns over AI's impact on jobs and security are rising. But the real kicker? Anthropic's Mythos Preview model, a technical marvel touted for its prowess in spotting software vulnerabilities, caught everyone's attention.

Anthropic's Masterstroke

Mythos Preview isn't just another AI model. It laid the groundwork for Anthropic’s lobbying play. The company withheld it from public release, citing potential severe fallout for economies and security. This stunt played right into the hands of policymakers, framing the model as both a risk and a necessity for tighter controls.

CEO Dario Amodei's warnings about open-weight releases echo through the industry. The model's power and Anthropic's cautionary tales push for stricter oversight, aligning perfectly with its competitive interests. Anthropic's strategy? Make safety a selling point.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s the twist: Trump isn't just considering regulation. He's mulling over government stakes in top AI firms, right as Anthropic eyes an IPO. With regulatory frameworks that resemble Anthropic’s policies, this bolsters their market position. And just like that, the leaderboard shifts.

What's left of the AI industry if it morphs into an oligopoly? Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google lead the charge, with the government as both client and gatekeeper. The open-source path dims as enterprise buyers and investors sway towards ‘trusted partners.’

And there it's: The industry no longer needs us, the individual users. It's about governments, enterprises, and investors now. In AI's new era, Anthropic isn't just playing in the game. They're aiming to own the board.