Pentagon's Emil Michael Threatens Export Controls Against AI Labs That Refuse Government Cooperation

Emil Michael, the Pentagon's defense undersecretary who serves as vice chair of the White House's AI task force, has threatened to impose export controls on artificial intelligence laboratories that decline to cooperate with the federal government, according to reporting from The Information.

The threat marks an escalation in the government's posture toward AI companies, deploying the same trade restriction tools typically aimed at foreign adversaries as leverage over domestic labs. Michael has been a central figure in the administration's effort to bring AI companies into closer alignment with national security objectives, including leading a working group focused on requiring labs to report cybersecurity breaches and hacks to the government as part of the White House Accord. The warning signals that non-cooperation by AI labs could carry concrete commercial consequences, including restrictions on the ability to sell products and technology overseas.