A Commerce Department office charged with evaluating AI safety has halted public research releases and is operating without a permanent director amid a new, informal reporting arrangement with the White House, according to the Associated Press. The $10 million-a-year Center for Advancing Innovation and Standards for Super Intelligence has drawn criticism from advocates who fear the shift could undermine the independence of federal AI risk assessments, prompting calls for a congressional probe. The administration pointed to a newly formed Super Intelligence Force as evidence of its commitment to AI leadership, while some supporters argue closer White House coordination could raise the center’s profile and funding. The oversight concerns land as the AI sector’s rapid expansion intensifies policy and infrastructure pressures: Anthropic reportedly struck a $3.4 billion deal for natural-gas generators to power data centers, Nvidia’s CEO faces an internal review tied to national-security questions, and state leaders weigh community pushback against data-center projects.
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