TLDR
- Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI have been meeting since July to discuss creating a shared AI standards body
- Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis proposed the idea, modeled on Wall Street’s FINRA regulator
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman supports the effort but says it must be built without government backing
- Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and some smaller AI firms have pushed back on the plan
- A White House draft executive order on an AI regulator was shelved after losing support
Three of the biggest names in artificial intelligence are in talks to create their own industry standards body. Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI have been meeting regularly since at least July, according to The Information.
ANTHROPIC, OPENAI AND GOOGLE ARE DISCUSSING CREATING AI STANDARDS, WITH THE TALKS HAVING BEGUN BEFORE AMODEI'S ESSAY – THE INFORMATION
— First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) September 13, 2026
The working group met as recently as last week. The talks are ongoing regardless of whether the Trump administration gets involved.
How the Idea Started
The push came from Google DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis. In a July essay, he proposed a U.S.-led standards organization modeled on FINRA, the body that polices Wall Street under SEC oversight.
In his vision, the group would review advanced AI models before they are released. It would be a public-private partnership, funded by the industry but staffed with independent technical experts.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei added to the momentum last Saturday with an essay calling on AI companies to coordinate on testing and auditing. Those talks, however, were already underway before his essay was published.
What the CEOs Are Saying
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees at a town hall last week that he supports creating a testing and auditing body for AI. He said major labs would need to build it independently, without relying on government support.
Altman acknowledged that not everyone in the industry is on board. He called direct collaboration with peer labs the most viable path forward.
OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki said the company had been talking to external organizations about setting concrete standards and would have more to share in the coming months.
Pushback From Rivals
Not everyone is on board. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg raised concerns about a national AI regulator in a phone call with President Trump in August.
A White House draft executive order aimed at setting up such a body lost momentum. It was shelved after failing to gain enough support inside the administration before the end of summer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said there is little agreement among companies on what standards should look like. “There’s no consensus among them,” he told CNN.
Cohere CEO Aidan Gomez criticized the effort on X, warning that letting the largest AI companies write the rules could hurt smaller competitors. “Great ideas here from the cartel,” he posted.
Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic all declined to comment or did not respond to CNN’s requests
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