US Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos AI Models After Three-Week Ban

The US Commerce Department has lifted export controls on Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models, less than three weeks after ordering the company to suspend access over national security concerns. Anthropic confirmed it would begin restoring access the following day after receiving formal notice from the department.

What Anthropic Agreed To

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed the controls were withdrawn after Anthropic agreed to proactively detect and address security risks, work with the government on protocols for current and future models, and report any malicious activity. Lutnick noted the department reserves the right to reimpose restrictions if circumstances change or commitments are not met.

Background on the Model Restrictions

The original June 12 export control order led Anthropic to disable both models. Last week, limited access to Mythos 5 was restored for select trusted US organizations. While both models share the same underlying technology, Fable is designed for broad public use while Mythos operates with fewer safeguards, raising concerns about potential misuse in cyberattacks targeting sectors like banking.

Broader AI Oversight Taking Shape

The development follows an executive order requiring AI developers to submit frontier models to the government for review before wider release, signaling a more structured federal approach to advanced AI security.