US Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic's Powerful AI Models

The Trump administration is lifting export controls on Anthropic's two most powerful AI models after the company reached a deal with the Commerce Department. The news was communicated in a letter sent by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to Anthropic cofounder Tom Brown viewed by WIRED. The department is lifting restrictions on both the Fable 5 model and the more powerful Mythos 5 model, which had so far been approved for release only to select companies and government agencies.

"A license is no longer required for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer, including deemed export or deemed reexport, of the Mythos or Fable models," Lutnick wrote. The developments come as Anthropic has been working with the Commerce Department and the White House to strengthen safeguards against users bypassing Fable's safety restrictions to access restricted capabilities, especially those related to cybersecurity, according to people familiar with the matter. "Among other things, Anthropic has agreed to proactively detect and address security risks associated with the models; to work diligently with the U.S.

government on protocols and standards and releases for Mythos, Fable, and future models," Lutnick wrote. Lutnick has been leading the Trump administration's efforts to resolve its dispute with Anthropic alongside the national cyber director Sean Cairncross. Anthropic originally contended that the administration's security concerns were overblown.

The company said it was impossible to ensure there were zero jailbreaks that could unlock the more powerful capabilities of the company's restricted Mythos model. In recent weeks, Anthropic changed tack to try to get Fable back online, which has also meant changing the company's communication style with the administration. WIRED previously reported that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei was recently replaced in meetings with Brown, who officials liked more on a personal level.

Anthropic also assured the administration that it would try to reduce the number of jailbreaks by building more robust safeguards, effectively telling the administration what it wanted to hear rather than relitigating the conceptual issue of whether jailbreaks can be stopped, the people said. Update 6/30/26 7:53pm ET: This story has been updated to include references to a letter sent by the Commerce Department to Anthropic viewed by WIRED. Why this matters: The lifting of export controls on Anthropic's powerful AI models marks a significant shift in the company's ability to deploy its technology globally.

This development has implications for the broader AI industry, as it sets a precedent for how companies can work with governments to address security concerns. For developers and businesses, this means greater access to advanced AI capabilities, but also a renewed focus on ensuring the safe and responsible use of these technologies. As AI models become increasingly powerful, the challenge of balancing innovation with security will only continue to grow.