Via sfstandard.com
OpenAI and Anthropic urge US to enhance review of AI models amid Chinese competition fears
The two leading AI labs are asking Washington to build a national evaluation framework for frontier models, citing national security risks from advanced Chinese open-weight AI.
OpenAI and Anthropic, two companies that spend most of their time competing with each other, just found something they agree on: the US government needs to get better at reviewing advanced AI models before they reach the public. The unlikely alliance is pushing Washington to create a coherent national framework for evaluating frontier AI systems, with a particular eye on the national security risks posed by advanced Chinese open-weight models.
The joint appeal, which surfaced on July 22, 2026, comes at a moment when the AI race between the US and China is no longer a subplot.
What the companies are actually asking for
In early June 2026, the Trump administration issued an executive order establishing a voluntary 30-day review process for advanced AI models before public release.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic have already adjusted their release schedules in response. OpenAI has placed limits on its GPT-5.6 Sol model, while Anthropic has done the same with its Claude variants, including one called Mythos 5. The restrictions are framed around cybersecurity considerations.
Anthropic went a step further. In a blog post dated June 4-5, 2026, the company explicitly called for a slowdown in AI advancements. The specific concern was recursive self-improvement, the scenario where an AI system gets smart enough to make itself smarter, which then makes itself smarter again, and so on.
The China angle
Both companies specifically flagged the emergence of advanced Chinese open-weight AI models as a concern. Open-weight models are ones where the underlying parameters are made publicly available, meaning anyone can download, modify, and deploy them without oversight.
For OpenAI and Anthropic, the solution isn’t to abandon safety measures. It’s to make them universal, or at least to ensure the US government has the tools to assess foreign models with the same rigor applied to domestic ones. Both companies are pushing for a coordinated global approach that includes verifiable mechanisms for assessment and, potentially, limits on certain AI innovations.
What this means for investors
The crypto market has no direct connection to this particular policy push. There were no mentions of blockchain, tokens, or digital assets in any of the discussions.