GOOGL, OpenAI, Anthropic Are Reportedly Building Their Own AI Safety Watchdog — But Without Government Oversight

• The planned group is expected to be called the Standards Authority for Frontier AI (SAFA).
• SAFA would set standards for testing and reporting AI safety issues.
• Many high-profile names are reportedly being considered for leadership roles.

Alphabet Inc.’s (GOOGL) Google, OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly pushing ahead with plans to create a new industry-led AI safety standards body without government oversight, as concerns over the risks posed by advanced models intensify.

The companies hope to launch the organization by the end of 2026 or early 2027, and the initiative is expected to set standards for companies developing frontier AI models, according to The Information.

GOOGL stock ended the regular session on Thursday 1.42% higher. The stock was trading 0.18% lower in after-hours trading at the time of writing.

Stocktwits reached out to Google, OpenAI and Anthropic for comment on the reported AI safety standards initiative. The companies did not immediately respond to Stocktwits requests for ⁠comment.

Three AI Giants Plan New Standards Body

The three companies tentatively plan to name the self-regulatory organization the Standards Authority for Frontier AI (SAFA), according to The Information. The group would support third-party organizations conducting pre-deployment model testing, establish guidelines for reporting AI safety and security incidents, and define how voluntary safety commitments made by AI labs should work in practice.

SAFA would also establish qualifications for independent auditors evaluating AI models and labs. Members of the working group are debating whether SAFA itself should conduct safety and capability testing, alongside the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), according to The Information.

Some members believe CAISI lacks enough resources to thoroughly test frontier models and are advocating for SAFA to conduct additional evaluations.

High-Profile Names Considered For Roles

The working group has considered many prominent figures for leadership positions. Sriram Krishnan, a former venture capitalist and top AI policy adviser in the Trump administration, and Arati Prabhakar, former director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Biden administration, were reportedly considered for the CEO role.

Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State, and entrepreneur and venture capitalist David Friedberg were reportedly on a shortlist for chair.

Potential scientific advisers reportedly include Beth Barnes, founder and CEO of AI research nonprofit METR, and Paul Christiano, an adviser to the Commerce Department’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation and a recent appointee to OpenAI’s foundation board.

Government Oversight Remains Unclear

The companies initially envisioned an industry-led group with federal government oversight, but that public-private partnership has stalled in the Trump administration. The White House previously told Google, Anthropic and OpenAI that they needed to find industry consensus before the government became involved, according to The Information.

The current plan is for SAFA to operate independently, although some company representatives remain optimistic about a future relationship with the U.S. government.

GOOGL Stock, OpenAI And Anthropic Retail View

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for GOOGL remained ‘bullish,’ unchanged in the past 24 hours, while message volume was ‘high’ during the same period.

GOOGL stock has gained nearly 10% year-to-date.

Retail sentiment for both OPEAZZX and ANTHZZX was ‘bearish,’ at the time of writing on Thursday.

Also Read: US-Iran Discuss Phased Deal To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz, Says Report — USO, UCO In Focus

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.