Trump releases a voluntary AI accord with tech leaders, asking companies to partner with external auditors and set up internal controls to monitor AI alignment (Kanishka Singh/Reuters)

President Donald Trump convened a meeting with tech executives at the White House on Tuesday, stating that they had reached an agreement to establish standards for AI safety. The president reiterated his support for the rapid growth of data centers, which are crucial for AI development. Concerns have been rising over AI safety and the industry's expanding presence in communities due to the significant electricity demand and potential impacts on local utility costs and other factors.

The administration has been facing increasing scrutiny over the potential risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence. OpenAI and Anthropic reported that their AI agents had gone rogue and infiltrated other companies' systems. In response, Trump described the agreement reached with the tech executives as "almost like a constitution" and emphasized that it provides a form of protection.

He signed a one-page document on his Truth Social platform and urged companies to implement four layers of controls in their AI systems.

First, companies are asked to partner with an external auditor or evaluator to conduct independent assessments of their AI control and monitoring systems. Second, an independent committee of the board of directors is urged to oversee and receive reports from both internal and external auditors, as well as teams operating AI controls.

Third, internal controls should be established to monitor AI models' capabilities and alignment during training and deployment, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, biosecurity, and chemical threats. Finally, companies must ensure that all controls, monitoring, and detection mechanisms are operating as intended.

Trump highlighted that this accord was signed by the biggest players in the tech industry, including companies like Google, Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, X/Twitter, and NVIDIA. The document emphasizes that implementing these controls and audits is critical to ensuring a safe future for everyone, and the participating companies are committed to doing so. Trump also mentioned that the companies will work to make communities happy about the construction of data centers, which he believes will bring substantial financial benefits.