Anthropic keeps top AI models offline in White House export fight
The Verge reports Anthropic has not restored Mythos 5 and Fable 5 two weeks after a Trump administration order restricted foreign access.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Anthropic’s most powerful Mythos-class AI models remain offline two weeks after the Trump administration ordered limits on who could access them, The Verge reported. The standoff matters because the order appears to test how export controls can be applied to advanced AI systems, an area The Verge said lacks a clear operating framework.
The Verge reported that Anthropic took the models offline after a Friday evening ultimatum from the administration. The company then sent multiple executives to Washington, DC, for talks, according to The Verge.
Those discussions have not produced a public resolution. Anthropic declined to comment multiple times this week on the status of the negotiations and said it had no news to share, The Verge reported.
Order targeted foreign access
The dispute stems from a June 12 export control order from the Trump administration, according to The Verge. The order required Anthropic to suspend access by “any foreign national” to Mythos 5 and Fable 5 because of security concerns, The Verge reported.
The restriction applied to non-US citizens both inside and outside the United States, according to The Verge. It also covered non-US citizens employed by Anthropic, The Verge reported.
Anthropic has determined that keeping the affected models offline is its only available option so far, according to The Verge. The report said it remains unknown when, or whether, the models will be brought back online.
Regulatory gap complicates the talks
The reason Anthropic and the administration remain stuck is not clear, The Verge reported. One possible issue is the absence of a defined process for applying export rules to AI models, according to the outlet.
The Verge contrasted the AI dispute with the way many companies handle dual-use products, which are civilian technologies that may also have military or defense applications. Such products can often be assessed through a checklist-style review during manufacturing and production, The Verge reported.
The report said the Anthropic case could have broader consequences for the US AI industry if the administration extends similar restrictions to other companies with comparable technology. For now, the immediate effect is that Mythos 5 and Fable 5 remain unavailable while Anthropic and the White House continue talks without a disclosed timetable.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.