US government now has pre-release access to AI models from five major labs for national security testing

THE DECODER / 5/6/2026

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Key Points

  • The U.S. Department of Commerce is expanding AI safety testing by adding pre-release access to AI models from five major labs for national security use.
  • Anthropic and OpenAI were followed by agreements with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI through the Center for AI Standards and Innovation.
  • The provided models include reduced safety “guardrails” so they can be tested in classified environments.
  • The move is driven by rising cybersecurity threats and an increasingly competitive technology race with China.
  • The agreements reflect a broader effort to operationalize AI safety evaluation under government oversight before models are broadly deployed.

The US Department of Commerce is expanding its AI safety testing: Following Anthropic and OpenAI, Google Deepmind, Microsoft, and xAI have now signed agreements with the Center for AI Standards and Innovation. The companies provide models with reduced safety guardrails for testing in classified environments amid growing cybersecurity risks and an intensifying tech race with China.

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