US Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic AI Models
The US Commerce Department has lifted export controls on Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos artificial intelligence models, the company said on Tuesday. The decision comes less than three weeks after Anthropic was ordered to suspend access to its most advanced AI models over national security concerns.
The move marks a significant reversal of the earlier restrictions, which formed part of broader US efforts to strengthen oversight of advanced AI systems. Washington has increased scrutiny of new model releases amid concerns that powerful AI technologies could be misused by military or intelligence users in China, Russia and other countries of concern.
Export Restrictions Reversed
Anthropic had disabled access to its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models after receiving the export-control order on 12 June.
Last Friday, the US government partially eased those restrictions by allowing Anthropic to release Mythos 5 to a limited group of trusted US organisations. The latest decision removes the export controls altogether.
“We’ll begin restoring access tomorrow,” Anthropic said in a statement posted on X.
Security Commitments Accompany Decision
In a letter seen by Reuters, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the export controls had been withdrawn. He also said a licence would no longer be required to export the Mythos or Fable models.
According to Lutnick, Anthropic has agreed to take additional steps to strengthen the security of its AI systems.
The company will proactively identify and address security risks linked to its models. It has also committed to working closely with the US government on protocols, standards and future releases involving the Mythos and Fable model families. In addition, Anthropic has agreed to notify the government of any malicious activity involving its AI models.
Debate Continues Over Government Oversight
Despite the easing of restrictions, the government’s process for deciding which organisations can access advanced AI models has attracted criticism.
Last week, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on X that extensive safety testing was worthwhile. However, he questioned the government’s role in determining which customers should receive access to advanced AI systems.
The debate follows the delayed public release of GPT-5.6. At the request of the US government, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI postponed a full public launch of the model and instead limited access to a small group of vetted partners.
The developments highlight the growing balance that policymakers and AI companies are attempting to strike between encouraging innovation and addressing national security risks associated with increasingly capable artificial intelligence models.
With inputs from Reuters