This story appeared in The Logoff, a each day e-newsletter that helps you keep knowledgeable concerning the Trump administration with out letting political information take over your life. Subscribe right here.
Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is placing itself accountable for rolling out a brand new ChatGPT mannequin.
What’s occurring? On Friday, ChatGPT maker OpenAI introduced plans to launch a number of new AI fashions, together with one referred to as GPT-5.6 Sol, “within the coming weeks.” However on the request of the Trump administration, not everybody will get entry at first: As a substitute, the federal government will get to log off on which firms can use the brand new mannequin, which OpenAI stated is its strongest but.
What’s the context? That is the second large AI transfer the Trump administration has made just lately. Earlier in June, it primarily banned Anthropic’s highly effective new “frontier” AI mannequin shortly after the corporate launched it.
That mannequin — initially referred to as “Mythos” and launched publicly in a extra restricted model referred to as “Fable” — might have had a big safety flaw (how critical is a bit unclear; my colleague Eric Levitz explains extra right here). However there’s additionally good motive to suppose the ban may stem from the administration’s animus in opposition to Anthropic.
Why does this matter? As Eric writes, there’s a very good case that the federal authorities ought to get extra concerned in AI regulation. And it is sensible to be cautious about frontier fashions, that are highly effective and doubtlessly harmful. However what the Trump administration is doing isn’t regulation in any conventional sense — there’s no clear course of or universally utilized normal at play.
As a substitute, the administration appears to be making it up because it goes alongside — and, within the course of, giving itself critical leverage over each AI firms and the corporations hoping to make use of these new instruments.
And with that, it’s time to log out…
Hello readers, I hope you’ve been having fun with our little World Cup pop-up characteristic on this part of the e-newsletter (concern not — it’ll proceed). However when you’re not fairly all-in, permit my colleague Alex Abad-Santos to make the case for why this summer season is the right time to get into sports activities. You’ll be able to learn his article right here with a present hyperlink. (And simply fake there’s additionally a prolonged part in there from me concerning the Tour de France.)
Thanks for studying, have an ideal weekend, and we’ll see you again right here on Monday!
