US President Donald Trump announced that a voluntary accord had been signed after his meeting with executives of leading artificial intelligence companies at the White House on September 29. According to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the document is called the White House Accord on Super Intelligence. According to Al Jazeera and PYMNTS, it was signed by executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta, Nvidia and xAI.
The accord asks companies to run four layers of internal controls and audits on their most advanced models. Companies are to set up internal controls for safe development, work with an outside auditor to check whether those controls are working, and form internal boards to review the auditors’ reports. Audit results go to company boards rather than to regulators.
The agreement is not legally binding. Johnson said it is voluntary for the companies, and when asked whether it was binding, Trump said it is “morally” binding. According to PYMNTS, the accord sets no penalties for companies that fall short and does not require them to publish audit findings. Trump said a committee of about 10 people would be named to oversee the process.
The meeting followed calls by some AI executives to slow the development of the technology. Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, one of the most prominent voices urging a slowdown, said at the meeting that the technology has “very real risks.” Executives from Nvidia and Meta have played down concerns about runaway AI. Trump remained bullish, arguing that the companies were policing themselves.
The accord signed after the 29 September White House meeting, its voluntary nature, the internal and external reviews and Trump's self-policing and morally binding remarks: AP (via PBS NewsHour, US News and Washington Times) and HuffPost, 29 September 2026. The document's name and Johnson's comment that it is voluntary: ABC News, 29 September 2026. The signatory companies and the four layers of controls: Al Jazeera and PYMNTS, 30 September 2026. The absence of penalties, no requirement to publish findings and audits going to company boards: PYMNTS, 30 September 2026. The committee of about 10 people: AP (via KPBS), 29 September 2026. Amodei's very real risks remark and his call for a slowdown: HuffPost and Washington Times, 29 September 2026. The stance of Nvidia and Meta executives: Washington Times, 29 September 2026.
Source lists of signatories do not fully match; one source also names SpaceX. Only companies named in more than one source are listed here. The full text of the accord had not been made public when this was written; ABC News said it had asked the White House for an official copy.
Who will sit on the committee, how auditors will be chosen and when the accord takes effect have not been disclosed.
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