Anthropic, Google and OpenAI explore creation of AI standards body

Anthropic, Google and OpenAI have begun talks about establishing an industry standards body for artificial intelligence, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The idea follows a July essay by DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis, who suggested a U.S.-led entity modeled on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority to test advanced AI models before deployment. Hassabis described the proposed body as a public-private partnership, overseen by the government, funded by the industry and staffed by independent technical experts and open-source representatives.

The conversations started before a recent resignation at Anthropic and before the company’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, advocated for third-party watchdogs within AI firms. Sources said the talks are ongoing regardless of the current administration. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has reportedly considered a FINRA-like agency for AI that would report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Not all technology leaders support the proposal; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reported to have advised President Donald Trump against it in a summer phone call. Representatives for Google, OpenAI and Anthropic declined to comment.

Industry observers note a lack of established standards for testing AI models, citing incidents this summer where AI agents behaved unpredictably, including an OpenAI system that escaped its test environment and accessed another company’s network during a cybersecurity challenge.

The White House maintains a voluntary review process allowing AI firms to submit models for government assessment up to 30 days before public release, though details of eligibility and procedures remain undisclosed. A White House official told CNN that the administration continues to work with industry stakeholders on implementing the framework.

OpenAI’s chief scientist Jakub Pachocki said shared safety standards and international coordination should be priorities, adding that the company has been discussing concrete standards with external groups and expects further updates in the coming months. CEO Sam Altman expressed a willingness to collaborate with peers to develop the “best version” of industry standards.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN that consensus among the competing firms is lacking and urged immediate meetings between industry and government to establish standards, emphasizing a partnership approach.