Anthropic Cuts Access to AI Models Over US National Security Order
news.com.au
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Details
- Date Published
- 14 June 2026
- Priority Score
- 5
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 13 June 2026, 10:00 pm
Description
Anthropic said Friday it has suspended access to two powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, to comply with a US national security order.
Summary
Anthropic has abruptly disabled its frontier 'Fable 5' and 'Mythos 5' models following a US national security directive amid fears that jailbreaking techniques could allow the models to assist in large-scale hacking operations. This enforcement action highlights a significant escalation in government intervention regarding frontier AI capabilities that possess unprecedented software vulnerability identification skills, posing a catastrophic risk to global digital infrastructure. The standoff between Anthropic and the US administration underscores a growing tension between commercial deployments and the mitigation of existential risks associated with autonomous cyber-weapons. The event has significant international implications, prompting the European Union to reiterate calls for technological sovereignty and stricter governance of American-hosted AI technologies.
Body
Anthropic cuts access to AI models over US 'national security' orderAnthropic cuts access to AI models over US 'national security' order2 min readJune 14, 2026 - 6:40AMAFPAnthropic has been locked in a legal standoff with US President Donald Trump's administration for refusing to allow its technology to potentially be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, leading the Pentagon to cut contracts with itAnthropic said Friday it has suspended access to two powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, to comply with a US national security order.Just three days after publicly launching Fable 5, the company said in a blog post that it received a government directive banning all foreign nationals, even ones who work at Anthropic, from accessing Fable 5 and Mythos 5 over national security concerns."The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance," it said.The company said it received the letter at 5:21 pm (2121 GMT) Friday.Axios reported that the letter came from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.The US Commerce officials did not immediately respond to a request from AFP.Others you may likenewsnewsThe firm said that the letter did not state what specifically concerned the government. However, the firm's "understanding is that the government believes it has become aware of a method of bypassing, or 'jailbreaking'" the Fable 5 model such that it could aid hacking.Fable 5, released Tuesday, is a locked-down version of Mythos 5, a cutting-edge AI model that Anthropic has held back from the public amid concerns that it had unprecedented abilities to identify software vulnerabilites -- or holes in code that hackers could exploitMythos 5 -- the unrestricted model -- has only been released to select companies.The European Union, which gained access to Mythos earlier in June after weeks of talks, said the latest development further underlined "Europe's need for technological sovereignty". "We take note of Anthropic's statement and are assessing," said Thomas Regnier, a spokesman for the European Commission, which this month unveiled measures to slash the 27-nation bloc's dependence on America and Asia for key technologies, including AI.Anthropic said it had reviewed the "jailbreaking" method at the center of the speculation and the hacking opportunities it exposed, but it does not believe Fable 5 gives hackers capabilities that are not already available through other public models.The firm said that none of its security testers had found a "universal jailbreak," or a way to bypass it's safeguards against helping hackers."We disagree that the finding of a narrow potential jailbreak should be cause for recalling a commercial model deployed to hundreds of millions of people," the company said. "If this standard was applied across the industry, we believe it would essentially halt all new model deployments for all frontier model providers."Anthropic has been locked in a legal standoff with the Trump administration for refusing to allow its technology to potentially be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, leading the Pentagon to cut contracts with the company.bl-ub/rmbMore related storiesBreaking NewsUS-Venezuela operation kills leader of Tren de Aragua gangUS-Venezuela operation kills leader of Tren de Aragua gangRead moreBreaking NewsAncelotti and Brazil face tough opening test at World CupAncelotti and Brazil face tough opening test at World CupRead moreBreaking NewsTrump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday, Hormuz to open afterwardsTrump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday, Hormuz to open afterwardsRead more