Staff at the US government's AI safety testing center have been asked to report informally to an office of the White House, the Associated Press reported November 8. The center, the Commerce Department's Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence (CAISSI), evaluates how frontier AI models perform on safety tests.
The AP based its report on two former government officials with knowledge of the discussions, who spoke anonymously to protect current employees. The White House did not respond to specific questions about the center.
CAISSI operates on about $10 million a year, according to the AP, roughly one-eighth of what its UK counterpart receives. The US is where most frontier AI models are built.
Key facts
- 01Staff at the Commerce Department's AI safety center, CAISSI, were recently asked to report informally to a White House office, the AP reported November 8.
- 02The AP cited two former government officials who spoke anonymously; the White House did not answer specific questions.
- 03CAISSI receives about $10 million a year, roughly one-eighth of its UK counterpart's budget.
- 04A director hired in April was fired within days and his replacement resigned months later; the parent institute's head is now acting director.
- 05The center has stopped publicly releasing results of AI model safety tests, which Congress questioned in August.
Leadership has turned over repeatedly. The director hired in April was fired within days, and his replacement resigned after a few months. The head of the center's parent institute is now serving as acting director.
The center has also stopped publicly releasing its findings on how AI models perform in safety evaluations. In August, Congress asked why those reports had stopped, the AP said.
The reporting change follows an October plan, first reported by The Information, to move three senior CAISSI officials to the White House. A White House official said at the time that coordination problems with Commerce showed the need to bring the center's leadership closer to AI decision-making.
Under that plan, the officials would answer to Michael Kratsios, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had invited the two to co-manage the center about six months earlier.
Outside groups quoted by the AP want the arrangement explained publicly. Amos Toh of the Brennan Center for Justice said decisions of this consequence should be made in the open, and Caroline Siegel Singh of the Federation of American Scientists said institutions like CAISSI can greatly improve lives or do the opposite. Critics told the AP they are concerned that decisions on cybersecurity and bioweapons risk could become politicized.
Working on something we should cover, or seeing a story we missed? Send leads, documents, or feedback to hello@aichatdaily.com. For sensitive tips, see our secure tips page for Signal and PGP options.
Spotted an error? Email hello@aichatdaily.com with the URL and the issue, or read our full corrections policy.
