Amazon CEO Raised Anthropic Security Concerns Before Federal Ban

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy was among technology executives who alerted senior Trump administration officials to security vulnerabilities in Anthropic's most advanced AI models, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The warnings preceded federal action that has now shut down global access to the company's flagship systems.

Why it matters

The episode reveals how competitive dynamics and security concerns intersect in the AI industry, with one major investor flagging risks in a rival's technology to federal authorities. The resulting export controls represent an unprecedented federal intervention in AI model deployment, affecting allied nations and raising questions about how the U.S. will regulate frontier AI systems.

Federal Export Controls Block Global Access

The Trump administration on Friday directed Anthropic to block all foreign nationals—whether inside or outside the United States—from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns. Anthropic responded by disabling the models globally.

In a blog post, Anthropic said the U.S. government identified a method for "jailbreaking" a safeguard designed to prevent Fable 5 from identifying software vulnerabilities. The restrictions came through export controls administered by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, according to the company.

Broad Scope Puzzles Policy Experts

Security analysts who support AI export controls questioned the administration's approach, noting it affects allies as well as adversaries. "This was not well thought-out," said Jimmy Goodrich, a senior fellow at the University of California's Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation. "It even bans Canadians and Brits employed at Anthropic from doing research and development."

The order arrived as tensions between the Trump administration and Anthropic—which has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering—appeared to be easing across parts of the federal government.

Amazon's Stake in the Outcome

Amazon has invested billions in Anthropic and provides cloud infrastructure for the AI startup. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Jassy's communications with administration officials.

The restrictions mark a significant escalation in federal oversight of AI development, with direct intervention in which models can be deployed and by whom. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

These details were first reported by Reuters.