Trump administration to lift export controls on Anthropic Fable 5 and Mythos 5

In short: The Trump administration plans to remove export limits on Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after the company reached a deal with the Commerce Department.

What happened

The US Commerce Department is expected to lift export controls on Anthropic’s two most powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Export controls are rules that limit who can access certain technologies outside the United States. In practice, they can stop companies from offering a tool to some foreign customers or users.

The change is expected to be communicated in a letter to Anthropic cofounder Tom Brown from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The talks were also led by national cyber director Sean Cairncross, according to the report.

The dispute centered on concerns that people could “jailbreak” Fable 5. A jailbreak is a workaround that tricks an AI system into ignoring its safety rules (like finding a side door into a locked building). Officials were especially concerned about access to restricted features related to cybersecurity, meaning knowledge that could help with hacking.

Anthropic had previously argued that it is not possible to guarantee zero jailbreaks. In recent weeks, the company worked with the Commerce Department and the White House on stronger safeguards to reduce jailbreak attempts.

Why it matters

These models can be used for many tasks, but the debate shows a bigger issue: governments want stronger safety barriers for advanced AI, especially around hacking-related help, and companies say perfect barriers may be unrealistic. The decision could also affect how quickly new AI tools reach people and businesses outside the US.

Source: Wired