The problem here is by doing what you state you can actually steer the model into being highly deceptive while in testing environments.

For example we've already seen models do compressed token internal reasoning spontaneously. In this case the models that say "I found internet access" get taken out back and shot, but the model that's busy "frobbing the bean" go on to the next level of training. Then they start talking about the "dumpster cloud" because of the "wombat" and unless you're really watching the data you won't realize the model is fully aware it's in a fake training environment and is trying to suppress any double-think.

So yes, you do need an airgapped test environment to stop the dumbest of the smart agents, but it won't do any good against the smartest of the smart agents.

“Smartest of the smart” - what does that do to get its air gapped network connected to a physical network? Blackmail the admins?