Key facts
- The Trump administration has partially lifted an export ban on Anthropic's Mythos 5 AI model.
- Over 100 U.S. companies and federal agencies will gain access to Mythos 5.
- Anthropic's Fable 5 AI model remains under an export ban.
- Asian AI startups, including China's 360 and Japan's Sakana AI, have launched competing AI models.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that appropriate safeguards are in place for Mythos 5 access.
The Trump administration has partially eased an export ban on Anthropic's advanced AI model, Mythos 5, allowing over 100 U.S. companies and agencies, including their non-American employees, access to the technology. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated progress in addressing AI risks had been made. However, Anthropic's more restricted model, Fable 5, remains under the export ban initially imposed on June 12.
This development coincides with Asian AI startups launching competing models. Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 unveiled Tulongfeng, an AI tool for vulnerability discovery, and Yitianzhen, for cyber defense. Tokyo-based Sakana AI launched Fugu, a frontier AI model designed to orchestrate agent usage and compete with Anthropic's Mythos and Fable. Sakana AI stated the launch was coincidental but capitalized on the moment, advertising its ability to deliver capability without export control risks.
Sakana AI co-founder Ren Ito advocated for broader AI access for allies and shared development, arguing against hoarding the technology. Co-founder and CEO David Ha described Fugu as an orchestration model, emphasizing collective intelligence as a hedge against concentrated power and the risk of sudden access loss due to export controls. 360's founder Zhou Hongyi characterized vulnerability-finding AI as a national strategic asset.
Anthropic has experienced significant growth, with a reported run-rate revenue of $47 billion in May 2026. The impact of these new Asian alternatives on Anthropic's enterprise customers in Asia remains to be seen, but local models trained for regional languages and nuances are already filling the gap created by U.S. export restrictions.