President Donald Trump reportedly said he may have viewed artificial intelligence startup Anthropic as a national security threat just days ago, but now believes the company has acted responsibly after complying with a U.S. government directive restricting access to its most advanced AI models.
Trump Softens Stance On Anthropic After AI Access Dispute
In an interview with The Axios Show published Friday, Trump was asked whether he viewed Anthropic or its CEO, Dario Amodei, as a threat to national security.
“Well, not now, but a week ago, maybe,” Trump said.
The comments follow a dispute between the Trump administration and Anthropic over foreign access to the company’s flagship AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
Senior Anthropic technical staff were scheduled to meet with administration officials this week to discuss the issue.
According to Trump, Anthropic responded “very quickly” and “responsibly” after receiving the administration’s directive.
The White House and Anthropic did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
AI Export Controls And National Security Concerns
Last week, Anthropic disabled access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 after the U.S. government ordered the company to prevent foreign nationals from using the systems, citing national security authorities.
The move underscores growing concerns in Washington over the potential misuse of advanced AI technologies and the risks associated with foreign access to cutting-edge U.S.-developed models.
Trump also declined to rule out using powers under the Defense Production Act, a law that grants the president broad authority in matters tied to national security.
“I have the power to use a lot of things,” Trump said. “But I’m not sure I have to do that.”
The president also said that Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), which is both an investor in and a competitor to Anthropic, raised concerns with the administration about the company’s actions, adding that Anthropic has since acted responsibly.
Anthropic Signals Cooperation As IPO Option Remains Open
Responding to Trump’s remarks, an Anthropic spokesperson said the company appreciated its ongoing engagement with the administration.
“We are grateful to the administration for their ongoing partnership in working to get this matter resolved as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.
The developments come shortly after Anthropic confidentially filed a draft Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, preserving the option to pursue an initial public offering once the regulatory review process is completed.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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