The Trump administration plans to lift export controls on Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 AI model as early as Tuesday evening, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Axios. The decision restores public access to the company's powerful Mythos-class model, which had been pulled for security reasons 18 days ago. Last week, the administration allowed Anthropic to restore access to Mythos 5 for a select group of government-approved organizations.
The government's evolving role in regulating frontier AI models remains uncertain, creating an ad hoc environment for companies like Anthropic. It is unclear what technical or policy changes the firm made to address Commerce Department concerns, particularly preventing access by foreign nationals. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on X that his office has "worked closely with Anthropic to analyze and approve Fable 5 to ensure alignment across the US Government and strengthen America's leadership in AI."
The decision was eagerly awaited by AI developers, according to Axios. Earlier, sources told the outlet that Fable 5 could return as soon as this week. Anthropic and the administration had previously discussed conducting a technical assessment to evaluate similar risks posed by future models, Politico reported.
The lifting of restrictions signals a shift toward less stringent oversight, but the criteria for such decisions remain opaque. Other AI developers may now seek similar clarity on how the government evaluates security risks. The regulatory vacuum could prompt calls for a more formal framework to govern cutting-edge AI releases.
Critics argue that easing controls without transparent benchmarks could undermine national security. They note that the ad hoc process leaves room for political rather than technical judgments, potentially setting a precarious precedent for future AI governance.