Anthropic: US has lifted export controls on Fable and Mythos AI models after security risk fears
The Guardian
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Details
- Date Published
- 1 July 2026
- Priority Score
- 5
- Australian
- No
- Created
- 1 July 2026, 04:01 am
Description
The AI company was forced earlier this month to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for all foreign nationals
Summary
This report details a significant pivot in US AI export policy, where initial bans on Anthropic's 'Mythos' and 'Fable' models were lifted in exchange for proactive risk monitoring and government collaboration. The situation underscores the tension between national security interests, intended to prevent the misuse of frontier AI by adversarial states, and the commercial interests of leading AI labs. These developments highlight a shift toward 'managed' releases of advanced capabilities, where government oversight becomes integral to the deployment of models potentially capable of contributing to catastrophic risks. The involvement of the US Commerce Department signals a sharpening of global AI governance frameworks aimed at securing the frontier AI supply chain.
Body
AI maker Anthropic says the US government has lifted an export ban on its powerful Mythos and Fable systems. Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenAI maker Anthropic says the US government has lifted an export ban on its powerful Mythos and Fable systems. Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty ImagesAnthropic: US has lifted export controls on Fable and Mythos AI models after security risk fearsThe AI company was forced earlier this month to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for all foreign nationalsAnthropic 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ago, but in a letter to Anthropic seen by Reuters, US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, said the export controls were withdrawn and that a licence was no longer required for their export.The Anthropic ‘Fable’ saga proves: we have opened the AI Pandora’s box. What now? | Nathan E Sanders and Bruce SchneierRead more“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-PresseExplore more on these topicsAI (artificial intelligence)AnthropicComputingTrump administrationnewsShareReuse this content