US Commerce Department Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic's AI Models
Quick Look
- Anthropic's advanced AI models, Fable and Mythos, are no longer subject to US export controls, less than three weeks after they were suspended due to national security concerns.
- Access will be restored starting tomorrow.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The US Commerce Department has lifted export controls on Anthropic's Fable and Mythos AI models after initially suspending them due to national security risks.
Anthropic has said the US commerce department has lifted export controls on its Fable and Mythos AI models, less than three weeks after the company was ordered to suspend access to its most advanced AI models over national security risks.
“We’ll begin restoring access tomorrow,” Anthropic said in a statement on X late on Tuesday.
US authorities blocked access to the models on national security grounds several weeks ago, but in a letter to Anthropic seen by Reuters, US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, said the export controls were withdrawn and that a licence was no longer required for their export.
“Anthropic has agreed to proactively detect and address security risks associated with the models; to work diligently with the US government on protocols and standards and releases for Mythos, Fable, and future models; and to inform the US government of any malicious activity,” Lutnick said.
The US has stepped up oversight of new AI releases to identify potential threats amid concerns that the advanced models that are driving the sector’s boom and major capital investments could be misused by military intelligence users in China, Russia or other countries of concern.
Anthropic abruptly disabled its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models following the export-control order on 12 June. On Friday, the US government allowed it to release Mythos 5 to some “trusted” US organisations, partially reversing the order.
The US government’s vetting of which companies can gain access to the models has drawn criticism.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said last week that extensive safety testing “is not a bad idea. I just don’t like the idea of the government picking the customers.”
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI delayed a full public launch of GPT-5.6 at the US government’s request, limiting its access to a small group of vetted partners.
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Anthropic will restore access to Fable and Mythos models starting tomorrow.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- What specific security protocols will be implemented?
- How will future AI models be vetted?
- What is the long-term impact on AI development?
