The AI off switch: How Anthropic’s export controls sparked a global AI sovereignty scramble

On June 13, 2026, the U.S. government issued a directive to halt access to Anthropic's powerful models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, raising global concerns. This decision impacted all foreign users, including Anthropic employees born outside the U.S., prompting strong reactions in Europe and Canada. Anthropic had launched Fable 5 and Mythos 5 on June 9, 2026, after their development under a program called Project Glasswing. Fable 5 was marketed as a safe model for general use, while Mythos 5 was restricted to select partners. Just four days later, access to both models was revoked due to a directive from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.