Report: Zuckerberg, Musk and Huang urged Trump to reject industry-funded AI watchdog

The proposal, floated by Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis, was modeled on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority: a standards and testing organization paid for by industry that would evaluate the most capable models before deployment.

Tech Startups attributed the account to the Journal, which cited people familiar with the discussions, and 24/7 Wall St. carried a matching version. Both say the three executives spoke with Trump separately and argued that the arrangement would concentrate influence with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google and wall off competitors. Zuckerberg has said publicly that AI companies already have strong incentives to build safe systems, and Huang has said the industry needs no new laws, Tech Startups noted. Trump's decision frustrated some White House officials, the outlet said.

The accounts differ on timing, one placing the conversations last week and the other in recent weeks. Politico reported in early September that Zuckerberg had voiced opposition to the idea in a private call with Trump during the week of Aug. 17. None of the coverage reviewed carried comment from the White House or the companies, and the Journal article itself could not be read for this briefing.