Anthropic executives traveled to Washington this week to negotiate with Trump administration officials after government restrictions forced the company to disable access to its newly launched Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models.
The talks came days after federal officials ordered Anthropic to suspend access to the models for foreign nationals, citing national security concerns. Because the company could not immediately implement restrictions that applied only to certain users, it shut down access to both models globally while discussions continued, according to NBC News.
The dispute centers on concerns within the administration that Fable 5 can be "jailbroken," allowing users to bypass safeguards and identify software vulnerabilities. Anthropic has disputed the severity of the issue, arguing that the concern involves a narrow capability and is not unique to its systems, according to WIRED.
Anthropic's technical staff held meetings with administration officials in Washington in an effort to restore access to the models. The discussions followed several virtual meetings that took place after the government first contacted the company about the issue, according to Reuters.
The company publicly launched Fable 5 earlier this month. Anthropic described the model as a version of its Mythos system that includes additional safeguards designed to limit responses involving cybersecurity, biology and chemistry topics.
Federal officials have argued that advanced models such as Fable 5 pose unique security risks if their safeguards can be bypassed. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said officials were concerned the technology could be deployed by or diverted to military and intelligence users in countries including China and Russia, according to Reuters.
Anthropic said the government's order required the company to suspend access for any foreign national, regardless of location, including foreign-national employees. Unable to quickly verify eligibility on a user-by-user basis, the company opted to disable the models entirely.
The confrontation marks the latest chapter in a tense relationship between Anthropic and the Trump administration. Earlier this year, disputes emerged over the company's limits on military and government uses of its technology. Those disagreements led to broader tensions between Anthropic and federal agencies.
The latest restrictions also come as governments increasingly scrutinize advanced technology systems that have cybersecurity and national security implications. The debate has intensified amid ongoing concerns over cyberattacks targeting governments, critical infrastructure and defense networks. Washington has expanded efforts in recent years to limit foreign access to technologies viewed as strategically important.
Anthropic has argued that the administration's response is disproportionate and that similar vulnerabilities can be found across multiple advanced models. More than 80 cybersecurity experts and technology executives signed a letter backing the company and urging officials to reconsider the restrictions, according to Reuters.
The dispute has also drawn international attention. The European Commission said it is assessing the implications of the U.S. directive after Anthropic disabled the models worldwide.
As negotiations continue, Fable 5 and Mythos 5 remain offline. Anthropic has said it hopes to restore access to the systems but has not announced a timeline for doing so.
