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🇫🇷 France /Technology

Government order to halt AI models sparks outcry in the U.S.

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The U.S. Commerce Department ordered AI startup Anthropic to suspend its powerful Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models, citing national security concerns.
  • The decision has drawn widespread criticism from both deregulation advocates and those calling for stronger AI oversight.
  • This unprecedented government ban on advanced AI models raises concerns about the future of AI development in the U.S.

The U.S. government's order for AI firm Anthropic to suspend its advanced models has ignited a firestorm of criticism across the political spectrum. The Commerce Department mandated the shutdown of Anthropic's Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models late Friday, citing unspecified national security reasons.

All those who design cutting-edge models are now at the mercy of the government.

— Martin VarsavskyCommenting on the implications of the U.S. government's order for AI companies.

This move marks an unprecedented intervention, with the government directly prohibiting a domestic company from offering its cutting-edge AI. While China restricts foreign AI models and imposes domestic limits, this U.S. action is a direct ban on a powerful U.S.-developed technology. The directive specifically targeted foreign access, but Anthropic stated it could not differentiate users and was forced to take the models offline entirely.

I didn't foresee that the Trump government could destabilize American advances. But it has.

— Gary MarcusExpressing surprise at the U.S. government's actions impacting AI development.

Critics argue the decision is impulsive and destabilizing. Entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky commented on X that all developers of advanced models are now "at the mercy of the government," fundamentally altering the industry's landscape. Researcher Gary Marcus expressed surprise, stating he hadn't anticipated the Trump administration would "destabilize American advances" in AI.

narrow

— AnthropicDescribing the vulnerability found in their Fable 5 model.

Some point to Anthropic's own warnings about the risks of powerful AI as a contributing factor. CEO Dario Amodei recently called for political action to address escalating AI risks. However, the company described the reported vulnerability exploited by a third party, rumored to be Amazon, as "narrow" and the resulting software flaws as "minor." The directive's broad impact on the entire AI sector, however, remains a significant concern.

minor

— AnthropicDescribing the software flaws associated with the vulnerability.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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