President Trump and top technology executives signed a one-page artificial intelligence safety pledge at the White House on Tuesday, but the voluntary agreement has done little to quiet demands for binding regulation.
The accord, which Trump called “morally binding,” commits signatories to four layers of controls and audits: robust internal oversight of AI models, an internal team to check controls and resolve issues, partnerships with independent external auditors, and an independent board committee to review reports from operating teams. The document also states that “over time, it may make sense to codify these steps into laws or regulations.”
Signatories included Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI president Greg Brockman, xAI CEO Elon Musk, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. They met with Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at the White House before Trump made a rare appearance on the North Lawn to tout the agreement.
“These are seriously high IQ people, and they’re really watching over each other,” Trump said, adding that he sees “tremendous self-policing” and that the companies will be “used for the good.” If not, he said, “we’re going to be able to nab them.”
But critics from across the political spectrum argue that self-policing is inadequate. Tom Wheeler, a former FCC chairman and visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the pledge is a “legitimate and sincere recognition of the problems” but “not a solution” because “the people who are creating the problems are designing the solutions.”
Ruth Whittaker, technology director at the center-left think tank Third Way, said the president’s approach “continues to fall short.” She called for “actual laws on the books” and a mandatory system to test models before release and block those posing unacceptable risks. Anthony Aguirre, president of the Future of Life Institute, noted that AI companies “have jettisoned safety commitments countless times before, and they will do so again.”
Democratic lawmakers were sharply critical. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said a voluntary, unenforceable agreement that lets industry police itself is “not the right response” given the grave dangers that tech leaders themselves have flagged. Even some Republicans expressed doubts. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called the accord a “good first step” but said he is “not saying you can” take executives at their word. “People want to see these companies take responsibility for the stuff they break,” he said.
Others were more supportive. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, praised Trump’s “inspired leadership” and said it is “critical that Americans win the race for AI and beat communist China.” He added that the president did a “very good job of balancing” innovation and risk.
The accord arrives as Washington struggles with how to regulate AI amid cybersecurity incidents involving AI agents and warnings from researchers about existential risks. Trump has dismissed safety concerns as a “hoax” and argued the U.S. must press forward to stay ahead of China. Instead of new rules, he has suggested his administration can regulate through agencies like the Department of Justice.
With Congress gridlocked, the White House’s voluntary approach may be the only federal action for now. But as the 2026 midterms approach, pressure is building on lawmakers to act. Democratic lawmakers have urged Speaker Johnson to keep the House in session to tackle AI legislation, and the debate is likely to intensify as AI’s influence grows.
