Six tech giants have signed a voluntary AI safety accord at the White House, a one-page commitment described by President Trump as morally binding. The signatories are Google, Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, Nvidia and xAI.

The White House Accord on Super Intelligence, signed September 29, asks each company to maintain four layers of internal controls focused on cybersecurity, biosecurity and chemical threats, designate an internal oversight team, partner with an independent external auditor, and create a board committee to oversee the work.

The accord carries no penalties for non-compliance and no requirement to report safety incidents to the government. Each company chooses its own auditors. Trump also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to use the term Super Intelligence instead of artificial intelligence.

Critics called the pact weak. Supporters say it puts external evaluation and board responsibility into a shared public commitment across rivals.

Why it matters: the accord sets the tone for how the US will regulate AI, favouring industry self-policing over sweeping government rules.