Anthropic took its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models offline the weekend before June 16 to comply with a US government export control directive citing national security concerns [1, 2]. The shutdown blocked access for all foreign nationals, including Anthropic employees based outside the United States [1, 3]. Despite this, Anthropic said other AI models remain available to users [2].

The directive came abruptly, with little warning or explanation from Anthropic, catching many users by surprise [1, 3]. Sean McDonnell, a 43-year-old UK web design founder, lost access to Fable mid-project but said he mitigated disruptions by switching to other AI tools and backup plans [3].

The US action has stirred international alarm about dependency on American AI technology. UK AI and online safety minister Kanishka Narayan called AI sovereignty a national security issue, stating, "We treat every other threat to our sovereignty with deadly seriousness, but we haven’t learned to treat this one in the same way... AI is the central political question of our time" [1].

French presidential candidate Gabriel Attal condemned the shutdown as the start of an "AI war," calling access to AI a "strategic choke point" comparable to the Strait of Hormuz blockade. He warned that "France is vulnerable if it relies on others for critical technologies" [1].

This has renewed interest in sovereign AI development and alternatives. Open-source AI models are gaining prominence amid concerns over US control. Chinese open-source AI labs have seen a surge in investor interest as nations seek independent AI capabilities [2].

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella weighed in on June 16, warning against centralized control of AI models. He said, "The last thing any of us want is a world where every company across every sector is ceding value to a few models that eat everything they see" [2].

While Fable 5 and Mythos 5 remained offline for foreign users as of June 16, Anthropic has kept other AI models accessible [2]. The ongoing situation is likely to influence AI policy and market decisions in the near term.