The possibility of about 500 staff being laid off at the National Institute of Standards and Technology is sending ripples through the tech industry. According to numerous media sources, these sweeping cuts have the potential to wreak havoc on a young organization dedicated to AI safety.

A report by Axios this week reveals that the U.S AI Safety Institute (AISI) and Chips for America, both offspring of NIST, are in the line of fire. There are reports of upcoming layoffs that will mostly target probationary staff, usually individuals who are still in their first years at the company.Furthermore, a Bloomberg snippet suggests a few team members may have already been tipped off verbally about the looming terminations.

Even prior to these disturbing layoff claims, there were rumblings about the unstable future of AISI. This Institute, designed to evaluate risks and establish standards in AI development, was a brainchild of former President Joe Biden's AI safety executive order. However, the tables turned when President Donald Trump eliminated that order on his first day back in the Oval Office. Moreover, AISI's director bid adieu to the organization earlier this month.

A conversation with Fortune revealed several AI safety and policy organizations voicing their opposition against the impending downsizing.

Jason Green-Lowe, who holds the helm at the Center for AI Policy, warned, "These cuts, if confirmed, would severely limit the government's ability to investigate and tackle crucial AI safety issues just when such expertise is more crucial than ever."