The Trump administration's increasing oversight of advanced artificial intelligence has left leading AI companies calling for clearer rules, marking a sharp departure from President Donald Trump's earlier promise to take a hands-off approach to the industry.

According to an exclusive Politico report published Saturday, the White House has imposed restrictions on the release of cutting-edge AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI over cybersecurity concerns, creating what one senior AI executive described as "a de facto European-style licensing regime."

The administration has partially rolled back some restrictions, but companies say the regulatory process remains opaque.

"We want to avoid a situation where the release of any model or piece of software is based on an ad hoc process and a one-off license process," said Paul Lekas, head of global public policy and government affairs at the Software & Information Industry Association.

Industry officials repeatedly told Politico they are seeking "clarity" from the administration while remaining cautious about publicly challenging the White House.

"It feels like they're walking on eggshells a little bit," one AI policy adviser said.

White House spokeswoman Liz Huston defended the administration's approach, saying Trump has "clearly and repeatedly articulated his goal: ensure continued American dominance in AI and other cutting-edge technologies."

The policy shift highlights the political balancing act facing the Trump administration.

On one hand, officials argue the U.S. must continue advancing AI to compete with China, which has rapidly expanded its own capabilities.

On the other, the administration faces growing skepticism from parts of Trump's political base over AI's potential to eliminate American jobs, increase corporate power, and fuel the rapid construction of energy-intensive data centers that have sparked opposition in communities across the country.

Former Trump official Dean Ball said the administration's national security concerns are legitimate but warned its response may have gone too far.

"It can be true that a fully laissez-faire attitude is not appropriate to this technology," Ball said, while adding that "the Trump administration's concerns here are like 100 percent legitimate," but that officials are "likely overreacting."

Despite the uncertainty, many industry leaders believe the administration will eventually replace the current patchwork of restrictions with a formal framework.

As one OpenAI executive put it, "It's important for the labs to continue to release models to ensure that the U.S. stays a leader in AI."