The Trump administration has issued a light-touch executive order focused on cyber risks stemming from frontier AI.
By Michael H. Rubin, Andrew Gass, Ghaith Mahmood, Sy Damle, and Fiona Maclean
Link to Key Points: Key Points:
- The Order directs federal agencies to strengthen cybersecurity across government systems and critical infrastructure, including through an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse and expanded access to AI-enabled defensive tools for state and local authorities.
- Federal agencies will design a voluntary framework by August 1, 2026, for developers of frontier AI models to engage with the federal government prior to model release.
- The Attorney General is directed to prioritize enforcement of existing federal criminal statutes against anyone who uses AI to illegally access or damage a computer without authorization, or who employs AI agents to unlawfully access data for use in a criminal purpose.
On June 2, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order (the Order) titled “Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security,” which seeks to balance the Trump administration’s long-standing goal of promoting AI innovation through a minimally burdensome regulatory framework with the need to modernize and protect key systems against emerging AI-related threats.
The Order addresses three principal areas: (1) strengthening cybersecurity across federal systems and critical infrastructure; (2) creating a voluntary pre-release engagement framework for developers of frontier AI systems; and (3) directing the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of existing criminal statutes against AI-enabled cybercrimes. Throughout, the Order emphasizes voluntary collaboration with the AI industry rather than implementing rigid, mandatory regulations.
This Client Alert analyzes the Order and its implications for AI developers.