The U.S. government issued an export‑control order on Friday that forced Anthropic to shut down its two newest artificial‑intelligence models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5. The order, signed by the Trump administration, cited “national security concerns” but provided no specifics. Anthropic was instructed to ensure the models could not be accessed by any foreign nationals, a requirement that led the company to pull the services entirely because it could not verify the nationality of its own staff or users.
According to a discussion on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, the White House became aware of the issue after Amazon researchers reportedly discovered a method to bypass Fable 5’s guardrails. Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy raised the matter with officials in Washington, and the concern quickly escalated into a formal export‑control directive.
“The government basically forced Anthropic to pull the models offline,” said Rebecca Bellan, a host of the podcast. “They gave no specifics and told Anthropic they had to make sure the models couldn’t be used by any foreign nationals.” Bellan added that Anthropic’s response was to remove the models altogether, noting that many of its employees are foreign nationals, making compliance impossible.
Cybersecurity experts have rallied against the order, signing an open letter that urges President Trump to revoke the directive. The signatories argue that withdrawing the models removes advanced defensive capabilities from U.S. network defenders, creating a security gap that could be exploited by adversaries.
“It’s actually dangerous to have to pull these advanced cybersecurity capabilities from network defenders in the U.S.,” the letter reads, reflecting a broader industry fear that the policy could backfire.
Industry insiders suggest the crackdown reflects a strained relationship between Anthropic and the administration, a dynamic that does not appear to extend to rival AI labs. Sean O’Kane, another podcast participant, noted that Anthropic “has not had the best relationship with the Trump administration in a way that stands apart from the other leading AI labs.” He warned that competitors might see a temporary advantage, but the overall regulatory environment remains unpredictable.
Anthropic’s own stance acknowledges the possibility that similar vulnerabilities exist in other models. The company pointed out that the alleged jailbreaks could be reproduced in several AI systems, implying that the focus on Anthropic may be disproportionate.
Some observers see a silver lining for Anthropic. After the shutdown, downloads of the company’s Claude model surged, as users who previously relied on ChatGPT turned to Claude as a “more responsible” alternative. Anthony Ha, a commentator on the podcast, described the phenomenon as a classic “bad‑boy” effect: the controversy boosts visibility and curiosity, driving traffic to Anthropic’s remaining offerings.
The episode unfolded rapidly, moving from a Friday afternoon announcement to a weekend of speculation. Bellan suggested the timing may have been intentional, providing a distraction from other geopolitical negotiations the administration was pursuing.
Legal tensions already simmer between Anthropic and the government, stemming from a prior lawsuit in which the White House labeled the company a supply‑chain risk. The latest export‑control order adds another layer to that dispute, prompting questions about how future AI regulations will be enforced and whether they will target specific firms or apply uniformly across the industry.
For now, Anthropic’s two flagship models remain offline, and the company continues to navigate a complex policy landscape while its remaining products experience heightened demand.
Este artículo fue escrito con la asistencia de IA.
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