Anthropic announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has lifted the export controls on its Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, ending a standoff that began when the government imposed restrictions citing national security concerns.
Earlier this month, Anthropic had to disable access to these models for all foreign nationals, including its own employees, which raised alarms among tech executives and investors about the potential for Chinese competitors to gain ground in the AI space. The lifting of these controls comes shortly after U.S.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick granted permission for Anthropic to release Mythos 5 to select companies and federal agencies, indicating that the government believes appropriate safeguards are now in place. Lutnick noted that the U.S. government has worked closely with Anthropic to ensure alignment and strengthen America's leadership in AI.
The negotiations were led by Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown, who took over from CEO Dario Amodei, amid concerns that Amodei's previous political affiliations may have complicated the company's relationship with the administration.
This development is crucial for Anthropic as it seeks to regain momentum in the competitive AI landscape, particularly against the backdrop of rapidly advancing Chinese open-source models