A report has sparked debate across the technology world after the US government imposed emergency export controls on Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5. Under the directive, access to the models would be restricted to the US, making them unavailable to foreign nationals and organisations outside the country.
The restrictions were imposed due to national security and cybersecurity concerns related to the advanced capabilities of the Mythos system. Following the directive, Anthropic was forced to disable access to the models for foreign users, businesses and developers worldwide, including those in India.
The development has raised several questions about the capabilities of these AI systems and what their restriction could mean for countries such as India.
What are Fable 5 and Mythos 5?
Anthropic recently launched its next-generation "Mythos-class" AI architecture. The company offers the technology in two versions. Claude Fable 5 is the commercial version available to developers and businesses and includes extensive safety guardrails designed to block harmful requests.
Claude Mythos 5, meanwhile, is described as a more unrestricted version with many of the safety filters removed. It is reportedly available only to a small group of vetted researchers and cybersecurity professionals through a programme called Project Glasswing.
According to the company, these models represent a major leap in AI capability, with the ability to work autonomously on complex engineering and coding problems for hours without losing focus.
Unlike older AI models that are designed mainly for short conversations and quick responses, the Fable and Mythos series is built for what Anthropic calls Endurance. In simple terms, the models can handle large and complicated tasks for extended periods without drifting off track.
According to the report, payment company Stripe used the technology to completely rewrite a 50-million-line software project in a single day, a task that would normally take a team of engineers several months to complete.
Another major feature is memory. The models reportedly have a one-million-token context window, allowing them to read, remember and analyse thousands of pages of documents, financial statements, charts and reports at the same time.
Why did the US impose restrictions?
According to the report, researchers discovered a "jailbreak" technique shortly after launch. The method allegedly allowed users to bypass some of Fable 5's safety protections through carefully crafted prompts.
The report claims the technique enabled the AI model to analyse software code and identify hidden vulnerabilities. Amazon's CEO reportedly brought these findings to the attention of senior officials in the Trump administration.
Concerned that foreign governments or state-sponsored hackers could exploit the technology to develop automated cyberattack tools against critical infrastructure, the White House reportedly issued an emergency export-control order citing national security concerns.
Impact on India
The restriction on Fable 5 and Mythos 5 affects foreign nationals globally, including users in India.
For India, the impact could be significant, as several IT companies, technology startups and cybersecurity researchers had reportedly integrated Fable 5 into their workflows. The restrictions could disrupt ongoing projects and limit access to advanced AI capabilities.
In addition, because the restrictions reportedly apply to non-US citizens worldwide, some American technology companies operating Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India may be required to block access to the models for their Indian employees.
The development has also reignited discussions around India's technological self-reliance. Several industry leaders have argued that dependence on foreign AI infrastructure leaves Indian companies vulnerable to geopolitical decisions taken abroad.