Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy's discussions with Trump administration officials sparked a sweeping restriction on foreign access to Anthropic's most capable AI models. The move came after Amazon researchers demonstrated that Anthropic's Fable 5 model could be prompted to provide information useful for cyberattacks, which should have been restricted. These conversations with officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent set off rapid government action.

Following Jassy's briefings, White House officials convened an emergency meeting to assess the security risks. Security researchers began validating Amazon's claims, and the administration concluded that the most direct response was blocking foreign governments, companies, and individuals from accessing the tools. President Trump approved the restriction, reflecting longstanding concerns about Anthropic's ability to manage security risks posed by its advanced models.

In response, Anthropic announced it would shut off access to Mythos and Fable models for all users to ensure compliance. This effectively bars many of the company's foreign-born researchers from working on the latest systems and disrupts global efforts to identify software vulnerabilities using these tools. The incident reveals how quickly AI experimentation can influence government policy and corporate strategy.

The episode underscores the growing tension between rapid AI advancement and national security oversight. Large tech companies like Amazon, which invests heavily in AI and supplies computing infrastructure, now find themselves at the center of government decisions about technology access and deployment.