Altman arrived in the capital one day after Trump signed an executive order directing AI companies to voluntarily submit their models to the federal government for a testing period of up to 30 days before public release. The order, which The Hill reported OpenAI helped shape alongside White House officials, establishes a voluntary pre-release review process rather than mandatory licensing or registration requirements that some other jurisdictions have adopted.
In a post on social media Tuesday, Altman endorsed the administration’s approach. “The U.S. should lead on AI by continuing to develop the very best models, making sure they’re safe, and getting cyber tools into the hands of trusted defenders,” he wrote.
An OpenAI representative said Altman planned to meet with officials at the White House during his visit. His schedule also included separate meetings with congressional leadership from both parties. Representatives for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told CNBC that Altman was expected to meet with each of them. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told CNN that Altman had requested a meeting with him. Sanders has previously spoken publicly about the risks AI poses to the workforce, saying, “We need all of our people involved in determining the future of AI and not just a handful of multibillionaires.”
Altman’s Washington trip follows a turbulent legal period for OpenAI. The company emerged last month from a high-profile court battle with Elon Musk, a co-founder who sued over the company’s shift from its nonprofit origins toward a for-profit structure. The jury-sided-with-OpenAI verdict in that case left both the company and Musk publicly bruised.
On Monday, before the executive order was signed, OpenAI published a blog post outlining its approach to political advocacy. The company said it has not donated to any political candidates or campaigns and has not started or contributed to employee-funded political action committees. “We believe AI policy is too consequential to be treated as just another front in partisan politics,” the post stated. “Groups that are advocating on AI should be clear about their policy views, be honest about whom they represent and not use tactics that obscure the real choices facing policymakers and the public.”