US Blocks Its Own AI, Europe Fears "AI War" Has Begun
The United States has banned foreign access to a powerful new artificial intelligence model for the first time, cutting off users in the European Union and other nations from Anthropic’s advanced systems.
The Trump administration on Friday unexpectedly ordered Anthropic to block all foreign access to its latest AI models, including the newly released Fable 5 and the more powerful Mythos system [172732][172418]. The directive arrived at 5:21 PM with no detailed explanation of the specific security concern, forcing the company to suspend access for all international users immediately [172417][172418].
Anthropic announced it had no choice but to cut off all customers, including paying subscribers. “We believe the government should have the ability to block unsafe developments as part of a transparent, fair, and fact-based process,” the company said in a statement. “This action does not adhere to those principles” [172418].
Mythos is a cutting-edge AI model capable of finding security flaws in computer systems that even the best human experts missed, making it a potential tool for cyberattacks on banks, governments, and critical infrastructure [172417]. Anthropic had previously shared Mythos with the U.S. government and select companies through its Project Glasswing cybersecurity initiative for vulnerability testing before releasing the less powerful Fable 5 [172418].
The ban marks the first time the U.S. has blocked an AI model already used by millions worldwide [172417]. The restriction applies directly to the European Union and other non-US entities, turning a long-discussed hypothetical question into reality: whether the U.S. will use global dependence on American tech companies as a power tool [174092].
From a European perspective, the decision signals growing U.S. dominance in the sector, with many in France and across Europe now worrying that the “AI war has begun” [172763]. Cybersecurity veterans have pressed the White House to reverse the restrictions, arguing the ban harms security efforts by preventing defenders from using cutting-edge tools to protect software and products [173401].
The order came just days after Anthropic launched Fable 5 for subscribers of its Claude service, which the company had promoted as its most advanced model outperforming previous versions [172418].