How Anthropic may have explained itself to ban the export of AI

Anthropic says Mythos can find critical cyber security gaps, starting with limiting access for security reasons to certain US organizations. The company worked with government officials on a controlled launch before releasing the Mythos in a big way earlier this month.

The circulation of the Mythos, which the company announced in April, was higher than the circulation of other models released this year, according to data from AlphaSense. The Mythos media coverage took place after the unveiling and this week after the export ban.

Some in the industry have criticized Anthropic’s handling of government negotiations on the new models.

David Sacks, the former head of AI in the United States government, wrote on X that “a trusted friend of mine spoke to government officials about a way to reduce the security installed on Fable.” Anthropic eased their concerns, he said, forcing the government to “reluctantly” lift the ban.

The export ban follows public disputes between Anthropic officials and government officials over issues such as the use of Anthropic technology for domestic surveillance and lethal weapons. In February, the Pentagon labeled Anthropic as a national security threat. The two sides are in litigation over the matter.

Anthropic declined to comment.

Polls show that the government’s recent actions are in line with US public opinion, with YouGov polls showing that the majority of respondents agreed that better regulation is important even if it slows technological progress.

French President Emmanuel Macron this week said the Anthropic debate “clarified what the US and its allies in the G7 are”. He called for “stronger control of artificial intelligence” and warned of “disagreements in democracy.”

Lennart Heim, an independent AI researcher who previously worked at think-tank Rand, said the US government’s response “doesn’t inspire confidence.”

“You have an administration that has shown itself as a lobbyist, has pushed for the export of AI chips to China, and has criticized the safety regulations — and then turns around and bans the top US brand.”

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