US lifts restrictions on top-performing AI models from Anthropic
The Commerce Department on Tuesday lifted restrictions on all of Anthropic’s AI models, allowing the company to bring its most powerful AI technologies back online, according to a letter from the company’s government seen by The New York Times.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a letter to Anthropic that it would no longer need a license to export or transfer its Claude Mythos and Claude Fable AI models within the country, rescinding the order issued on June 12.
“Anthropic has taken steps in close coordination with the US government to address the risks associated with Claude Mythos 5 and Claude Fable 5,” Mr. Lutnick wrote.
The move was the latest chapter in Anthropic’s often prickly relationship with the federal government and is set to de-escalate their dispute and pave the way for the company to largely return to normal operations. Citing national security, the Commerce Department initially ordered Anthropic to suspend access to its latest AI models to all foreign nationals.
Those checks have raised questions about how hands-on the Trump administration might be with the fast-growing artificial intelligence industry. They could also cause significant problems for technology development at Anthropic, which, along with OpenAI, is one of the world’s most influential AI companies. Powerful at identifying security flaws in software, Mythos and Fable are considered significant improvements over earlier AI models.
The restrictions were the second time the Trump administration has targeted Anthropic, which is based in San Francisco. In March, after tense talks about how AI Anthropic could be used in war, the Pentagon labeled Anthropic an unacceptable supply chain risk, potentially limiting its use by federal agencies. Anthropic sued the federal government over the label.
Mr Lutnick lifted the export controls after weeks of negotiations between the trade department and the company over safeguards built into its AI models. Last week, it announced a partial deal with Anthropic to give some clients back access to its Mythos model.
In Tuesday’s letter, Mr. Lutnick said Anthropic agreed to take steps, including proactively identifying and addressing security risks for AI models, working with the US government on protocols and standards for these and future models, and notifying the government of any malicious activity.
Mr. Lutnick added that the Commerce Department “reserves the right to reconsider the decisions made in this letter” if Anthropic defaults or circumstances change.
IN statements published on social networks, Anthropic said it will begin restoring access to its AI models on Wednesday.
“We are grateful to our users for their patience and to everyone who worked with us to relocate the models,” the company said.
President Trump has previously sided with the AI industry, saying it needs unlimited growth for the United States to compete with China. But this month he signed an executive order asking tech companies to voluntarily provide government oversight of new AI models before releasing them to the public, his biggest move yet to regulate the technology.
Since then, the Trump administration has moved to regulate other Silicon Valley AI companies besides Anthropic.
When OpenAI unveiled an AI technology called GPT-5.6 Sol this month, it said it would only share the technology with certain companies approved by the administration. Meta, the only major US AI developer that has not reached an agreement to voluntarily share its models with the federal government for review, was forced by the administration last week to begin submitting its models.
(The Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging copyright infringement of news content related to AI systems. Both companies have denied the claims.)
Trump officials are still working on a framework for how companies should formally submit new AI models for review and what standards they should adhere to, two people familiar with the discussions said.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, expressed her “gratitude to companies across industries that continue to work closely with the White House” to implement Mr. Trump’s executive order on AI.
“Our shared priority remains: to deploy the best technology as quickly and safely as possible,” she said.