As Anthropic’s AI models face ‘export ban’, here’s when an Apple Computer was classified as a weapon by the US government; and what Steve Jobs did

In August 1999, Apple founder Steve Jobs unveiled the Power Mac G4, calling it “the most powerful personal computer ever brought to market.” According to a report by Business Insider, the computing speed of the machine was capable of one gigaflop which triggered US export controls, meaning Apple was prohibited from shipping it to more than 50 countries including China, Iraq and North Korea. Jobs turned this restriction into a marketing opportunity. At Apple Expo, he told the audience: “The Power Mac G4 is so fast that it is classified as a supercomputer by the U.S. government.” Apple even ran an ad campaign showing tanks surrounding the computer, with a voiceover declaring: “For the first time in history, a personal computer has been classified as a weapon by the U.S. government.” The ad ended with a jab at Intel PCs: “Well, they’re harmless.”