Unlocking Mythos 5: 100 U.S. organizations will gain access to the AI monster — Fable 5 is on the way
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Commerce lifted export restrictions on Anthropic's artificial intelligence model Claude Mythos 5. This decision opens access to the advanced AI system for more than 100 American organizations, including major corporations and government agencies.
This move effectively ends a two-week standoff between the Trump administration and Anthropic. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained in a letter to the company's technical director, Tom Brown, that current security measures allow access to verified partners from Appendix A without the need for a separate license.
From Glasswing to broad access
Previously, Mythos 5 was used exclusively within the Glasswing program—a vulnerability search project involving about 150 organizations from more than 15 countries. It was during government testing that the model identified critical errors in classified systems within just a few hours, which raised concerns among regulators.
Recall that initially both products—Mythos and Fable—were disabled after Amazon, one of Anthropic's largest investors, expressed concerns about their safety. The company's researchers warned that Fable 5 could be hacked for potentially dangerous purposes.
Fable 5: the wait continues
Despite the unblocking of Mythos, the fate of Fable 5 remains uncertain. Unlike its more powerful counterpart, Fable was previously available to all subscribers and was for a time considered the strongest public AI tool. However, its broad launch has now been postponed—timelines have not yet been announced.
This situation is unfolding against the backdrop of a new AI regulatory framework. On June 2, an executive order was signed creating a voluntary channel for federal review of advanced models. Developers can submit their solutions for cybersecurity checks 30 days before launch.
Notably, on the same day, OpenAI followed a similar path by restricting access to the most powerful version of GPT-5.6, called Sol, to about 20 government partners, while the weaker versions Terra and Luna became available to the general public.
Geopolitical context
The initial reason for the blocks was concern that competitors, particularly China, could gain access to the technology. The focus was on South Korean operator SK Telecom, which was added to the Glasswing list in early June and then had its access restricted. The company denies any connection with China.
Leaders of major cybersecurity companies, including former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos, as well as leaders from Nvidia, Adobe, and Zoom, urged authorities to abandon restrictive measures. European countries and other regions are already expressing concern about growing dependence on Washington's decisions regarding access to new developments.
My analysis: Lifting restrictions on Mythos 5 is only the first step in a new paradigm of AI control. We are witnessing the formation of a "managed access" model, where the U.S. government becomes the arbiter determining who can use the most powerful AI systems and under what conditions. Fable 5 will likely receive approval, but with significant restrictions—and this will set the trend for the entire industry.