OMB sets ‘neutrality’ rules for federal AI buys
The White House’s Office of Management and Budget issued guidance on Dec. 11, 2025 directing federal agencies to ensure AI systems they procure meet two 'unbiased AI' principles: 'truth-seeking' and 'ideological neutrality.' The memo, called for by a July Trump executive order, applies to LLMs and other generative AI, advises agencies to tailor information requests by vendors’ proximity to model developers, and says national security systems are exempt but encouraged to follow the guidance.
📌 Key Facts
- OMB guidance requires vetting AI for 'truth-seeking' and 'ideological neutrality' before procurement
- Scope includes LLMs plus image and voice generative AI tools
- Guidance advises avoiding demands for sensitive technical data like model weights where practicable
- National security systems are exempt from the requirement but encouraged to align
- Stems from Trump’s July EO 'Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government'
📊 Relevant Data
OpenAI models have the most intensely perceived left-leaning slant among popular AI models, four times greater than perceptions of Google.
Study finds perceived political bias in popular AI models — Stanford News
In 2024, 42% of tech developers identify with the Democratic Party, compared to 27% with the Republican Party.
Tech Developers Poised to Shape Political Landscape in 2024 — Evans Data
In the US AI workforce in 2022, Asian workers are overrepresented compared to the total U.S. workforce, while Black, Hispanic, and other/multi-racial workers are underrepresented.
The U.S. AI Workforce: Analyzing Current Supply and Growth — Center for Security and Emerging Technology
In 2020, Black Americans accounted for 26% of all arrests in the US (1,992,510 out of 7,632,470), while representing 13.7% of the population; White Americans accounted for 70% of arrests (5,335,610), while representing 58.4% of the non-Hispanic population.
Arrests by offense, age, and race — Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
In the 2022 NAEP mathematics assessment for 9-year-olds, there is a 33-point gap between average scores of White and Black students.
Elementary and Secondary STEM Education Table K12-1 — National Science Foundation