Google, OpenAI and Anthropic have jointly moved to form an independent organisation for the safety of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The body could begin operations by the end of this year or early in 2027. The companies have also approached Sriram Krishnan, former White House AI policy adviser, to serve as chief executive officer of the proposed organisation.

The body has been tentatively named the Standards Authority for Frontier AI, or SAFA. It will work independently, outside government control, while reviewing the AI safety commitments made by Google, OpenAI and Anthropic and developing new standards. It will also help developers verify the safety of advanced AI models before they are released commercially. The three companies are still discussing whether SAFA will only set AI safety standards or carry out its own safety testing of AI models.

The joint effort to build a common AI security framework is not entirely new. In July, Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind and chief scientist at Alphabet, proposed the creation of a US-based AI standards body. In a post on X, he said such an organisation could be built on a public-private partnership or as a self-regulated body of the AI industry.

Google, OpenAI and Anthropic are locked in fierce competition to dominate the AI market. At the same time, pressure is mounting on the companies over the safety and cybersecurity risks of advanced AI models. That is why the firms have now come together to form an independent body for the safety of AI technology.