Secret US AI evaluation framework partially revealed via FOIA — 132 pages, almost all redacted
Gary Marcus · rss · 2026-09-15
Gary Marcus reports that the US government has been quietly operating a secret AI security framework to evaluate which 'frontier' models can be released — even as Trump publicly rails against AI regulation.
Key points:
- Protect Democracy filed a FOIA request and lawsuit over the policy; the government responded surprisingly fast with 132 pages of records, which Marcus published.
- The records confirm OSTP director Michael Kratsios and US CTO Ethan Klein were in the conversation, but nearly all substantive content is redacted — the framework's actual criteria remain unknown.
- Lead counsel Deana El-Mallawany says secrecy around regulatory criteria is 'fertile ground for corruption and autocratic abuse' and the group will keep litigating for transparency.
US frontier-model screening policy remains opaque for now.
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