Lutnick’s Anthropic crackdown claims new power over AI models

The Trump administration’s push to rein in Anthropic PBC, outlined in a recent Commerce Department order, relies on an unprecedented use of export control laws and raises legal questions about whether the US can dictate who can access artificial intelligence systems.

In ordering Anthropic to obtain US approval for foreign nationals to use its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expanded the boundaries of laws governing transfers of sensitive technology to target the mere usage of cutting-edge AI models. That’s fueling concerns among developers and their customers about the government’s willingness to intervene in their operations on national security grounds.