News: 0184529020

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Head of US Safety Agency Resigns

(Monday July 20, 2026 @05:00PM (BeauHD) from the sign-of-the-times dept.)


Chris Fall has [1]resigned as director of the U.S. Center for AI Standards and Innovation just three months after being appointed to lead the Commerce Department's federal AI testing institute. Arvind Raman, who oversees the Commerce office responsible for the institute, will serve temporarily in the role. "The Commerce Department did not provide a reason for Fall's departure," reports Reuters. From the report:

> Fall's exit marks the latest [2]change in direction for Trump's approach to AI. The president upon returning to office in 2025 said the federal government should take a hands-off approach to the tech sector. He has since taken a more active role in monitoring the technology, though his public statements and policies appear to change week by week.

>

> The institute is responsible for working with leading AI labs such as Anthropic, Google's DeepMind and OpenAI to test their unreleased models for vulnerabilities. The group is staffed by scientists and engineers, who are focused on calculating the "demonstrable risks" posed by advanced AI models, according to the institute's website. They want to limit opportunities for U.S. adversaries to use AI to develop chemical or biological weapons, or corrupt the data used to train American AI models.



[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/head-us-ai-safety-agency-resigns-2026-07-20/

[2] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/06/02/1658231/trump-signs-ai-executive-order-asking-companies-to-give-government-early-access-to-models



So... (Score:3)

by zurkeyon ( 1546501 )

His hands off approach of what is potentially the most dangerous technology since the Nuke, was wrong? Huh... Who knew? ;-D

[Your problems here] (Score:1)

by shanen ( 462549 )

But AI is going to solve all the important problems. RIGHT?

But when you ask for details, "important" keeps coming back to shareholder value, now measured in new and improved cryptocurrency!

Funny thought of the day: Think of major changes motivated by positive teleological objectives. (I don't want to say "good intentions", but...) Stuff like the abolition of slavery, the NHS, or even the EPA. Ancient history, right? I'd like to hear your more recent examples to prove me wrong, or even better, something alon

Re:So... (Score:5, Interesting)

by Plugh ( 27537 )

More relevant, Commerce is run by Howard Lutnik, who BBC just [1]implicated heavily about getting Epstein services and lying to Congress [bbc.co.uk]. And who unilaterally decided Anthropic (run by Dario who is Democrat and therefore an Enemy of the State) could not release Fable for weeks until they bent the knee. And who approved OpenAI ChatGPT5.6 saying they did not even need government approval. Because Sam Altman already bend the knee.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nzfv03

Re: (Score:2)

by 0123456 ( 636235 )

This new attitude to LLMs is the modern equivalent of banning export of crypto with keys over 40 bits long. That simply encouraged foreigners to start up crypto companies which could sell 128+ bit encryption to businesses all around the world.

The more censored American LLMs become the more people and businesses will use non-American LLMs. Because America isn't the only place that has smart people and given China's average IQ is supposedly a few points higher and they have far more people odds are they have

Re: (Score:2)

by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )

> His hands off approach of what is potentially the most dangerous technology since the Nuke, was wrong? Huh... Who knew? ;-D

This "change of direction" probably has more to do with Trump and Co. being able to wet their beaks.

No worry! (Score:2)

by methano ( 519830 )

Trust me. Ain't nobody gonna use AI to develop no stinkin' chemical weapons. Or, at least, any new ones. As far as I can tell, AI isn't doing too well at figuring out chemistry. And, speaking as a chemist, the data that one might use to train AI on chemistry and biology is already pretty highly corrupted on its own, thank you.

who do these fucks work for? (Score:2)

by drinkypoo ( 153816 )

"The Commerce Department did not provide a reason for Fall's departure," reports Reuters."

These assholes clearly don't work for The People, or they would explain this shit. Who do they work for? Donnie Dipshit? Vlad?

Re: (Score:2)

by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )

Nonsense, I have it on good authority (from a Very Stable Genius) that this is the most transparent administration EVAR!!

Re: (Score:2)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

Dementia Don only hires the best yes men and family members.

Head of *A* US Safety Agency Resigns (Score:2)

by greytree ( 7124971 )

It really would not take that much more effort to do a half-decent job.

[Doctors and Bartenders], We both get the same two kinds of customers
-- the living and the dying.
-- Dr. Boyce, "The Menagerie" ("The Cage"), stardate unknown