AI
Anthropic implements new safeguard to resolve Trump administration standoff over Claude AI
The AI company agreed to block attempts to bypass restrictions on advanced capabilities, allowing export controls on two models to be lifted.
WIRED — AI
Anthropic has installed fresh security measures to resolve its dispute with the Trump administration over export restrictions on its AI models. The company implemented an expanded guardrail that blocks users attempting to access certain restricted functions and routes those requests to a less powerful version of Claude instead.
The Restriction and Its Origin#
The conflict centered on a technique researchers discovered for circumventing limitations on Claude's Fable 5 model. Rather than asking the system to identify vulnerabilities directly—which was restricted—users could request it fix code instead, achieving similar results. While cybersecurity professionals generally considered this workaround benign, the administration treated it as a serious threat to national security, prompting export controls that effectively took the model offline.
The new safeguard extends existing protections designed to prevent access to sensitive cybersecurity and biology capabilities. When users attempt to trigger the restricted behavior, they'll receive a notification and their request will be handled by the older Opus 4.8 model instead.
Clearing the Path Forward#
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced the lifting of export controls on both Fable 5 and Mythos 5, noting that "Among other things, Anthropic has agreed to proactively detect and address security risks posed by the models." The Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation determined the updated safeguards were sufficiently strong.
Lingering Uncertainty#
However, Anthropic's troubles with the administration are not entirely resolved. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated there is no clear path forward on removing his designation of the company as a supply chain risk, keeping at least one avenue of tension open despite the Commerce Department's decision.
