US Dept. of Commerce nixes ‘safety’ in NIST AI institute rebrand

President Trump’s cabinet continues to overhaul federal programs and initiatives, with some recent AI-related moves hitting the Department of Commerce. 

Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that the AI Safety Institute will now be called the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). In addition to removing “safety” from the title of the agency, which was created under the Biden administration in 2023 to set AI standards and guidance, CAISI will pivot to focus more on national security risks and global competitiveness.  

“For far too long, censorship and regulations have been used under the guise of national security. Innovators will no longer be limited by these standards,” Lutnick said in a press release. “CAISI will evaluate and enhance U.S. innovation of these rapidly developing commercial AI systems while ensuring they remain secure to our national security standards.”

The Commerce Department did not respond to Technical.ly’s request for comment, including to provide examples of “censorship.” 

CAISI also houses a consortium, established in 2024, of more than 200 companies and organizations that was originally created to develop science-based safety standards for AI operation and design. The group, known as the US AI Safety Institute Consortium, includes several universities and startups from throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

That group remains in operation following this announcement, but there are suspicions that it will shut down, according to a person with knowledge about the consortium. 

CAISI and the consortium’s formation under the previous administration was spurred by an executive order by former President Joe Biden, which the Trump administration revoked during his early days in office. 

Priorities for this newly-renamed government body include plans to ink voluntary agreements with AI developers and companies that can pinpoint risks to national security. That strategy isn’t entirely new. 

Under the Biden administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology — the regulatory agency, housed under the Commerce Department, that hosts CAISI — signed memoranda of understanding to undergo AI safety research with US-based AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. 

In these new evaluations, CAISI will prioritize looking at use cases in cybersecurity and chemical weapons, per the release. 

CAISI leadership will also collaborate with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies to “conduct evaluations and assessments.” 

This move comes as states are grappling with how to regulate AI. Nearby Virginia did not follow through with passing blanket legislation regulating the technology, and House Republicans are torn over a federal budget provision that would ban states from regulating AI for a decade.