Cybersecurity experts urge White House to reverse Anthropic AI restrictions

A group of cybersecurity executives and experts is urging the Trump administration to lift its directive barring foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence models, arguing the restrictions could ultimately help U.S. adversaries more than they hurt them.

The directive, which the Trump administration issued this month, blocks foreign nationals from accessing the company’s most advanced models. MSI previously reported that Anthropic halted access to the models in response to the order.

Anthropic said Friday it has taken its latest models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive, according to the company. The San Francisco-based AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue.

Anthropic has said it was limiting use of some of its latest technology to select customers because of its ability to surpass human cybersecurity experts in finding and exploiting computer vulnerabilities. The company has had discussions with the White House previously about the latest models’ capabilities.

The debate highlights the challenge the government faces as it tries to balance the rapid advancement of AI technology against national security concerns. The directive was part of a broader push by the administration to limit what it sees as potential exploitation of U.S.-developed AI tools by foreign adversaries.

Critics of the policy contend that restricting access to American AI models could backfire, pushing foreign cybersecurity researchers and developers to rely on AI systems developed by rival nations — potentially giving those countries an advantage in the global AI arms race.

Anthropic has been at the center of a long-running dispute with the Trump administration over access to its models. The Pentagon last year labeled the company a supply-chain risk, a designation Anthropic challenged in court. A federal judge later blocked the Pentagon from applying that label. The administration has appealed that ruling.