Anthropic engages White House to lift restrictions on advanced AI models

The measures, introduced on Friday, restrict foreign governments, companies, and individuals from using Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 systems on national security grounds.

Anthropic representatives reportedly traveled to Washington over the weekend to seek a resolution. The talks included US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross, Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown, and head of public policy Sarah Heck.

The company said it had been instructed to suspend access for all foreign nationals, including employees based in the United States. It also suggested the restrictions were linked to concerns that Fable 5 could potentially be “jailbroken” to bypass safeguards, which Anthropic says remain effective.

Mythos 5, first disclosed in April but not publicly released then due to security concerns, was recently launched for select users alongside Fable 5, with additional safeguards.

The move has sparked criticism from cybersecurity experts, researchers and technology executives, who sent an open letter urging the Trump administration to reverse the restrictions. They argue that the models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 do not offer unique capabilities beyond those of other advanced AI systems and warn that limiting access could weaken US leadership in artificial intelligence and cyber defense.

The debate comes amid broader tensions between Anthropic and US authorities over the military use of advanced AI systems. The company has resisted allowing its technology to be used for certain military applications, citing concerns about surveillance of US citizens and about autonomous weapons.

The disagreement escalated after US defense officials sought expanded access to AI tools, and President Donald Trump later directed federal agencies to halt the use of Anthropic systems. The Pentagon had also previously designated the company a procurement-security risk.

Anthropic later filed lawsuits against the US government, alleging that officials unlawfully retaliated against the company for its position on AI safety.

The latest restrictions on Fable 5 and Mythos 5 have intensified ongoing debates in Washington over how to regulate frontier AI models without undermining US technological competitiveness.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the artificial intelligence company Anthropic had confidentially filed draft paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a proposed initial public offering, signaling a potential move toward becoming publicly traded.