UK, Canada push for exemptions from US Anthropic AI ban

The United Kingdom and Canada are leading an international push to secure exemptions from the Trump administration's export ban on Anthropic's most advanced artificial intelligence models, as allied governments scramble to respond to the most sweeping US restriction on frontier AI technology to date.

Starmer Lobbies Washington for British Carve-Out

Downing Street has launched a lobbying campaign to persuade the White House to grant British users access to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, according to The Telegraph. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to raise the issue directly with President Trump at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, where AI governance is set to dominate discussions beginning Monday evening.apnews+1

The export control order, issued by the Commerce Department on Friday, June 12, bars all foreign nationals — including those working inside the United States — from accessing the two models. Anthropic responded by disabling Fable 5 and Mythos 5 entirely, saying it had no choice but to shut down access for all users to ensure compliance. The company said it received the directive at approximately 5:21 p.m. ET, citing unspecified national security concerns.reuters+2

Carney Warns of Systemic Risk

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney used a visit to Ireland on Sunday to frame the ban as a cautionary tale about technological dependence. "The situation we're in collectively right now with Mythos and Fable is something that can happen with over-reliance on certain models," Carney told reporters.bloomberg+1

Carney drew a parallel to the 2008 global financial crisis, warning that concentration around a small number of ultra-high-performance AI models could amplify systemic risks in the same way financial interdependence once did. "It would be a mistake not to learn from this situation and diversify AI models," he said.조선일보

Carney has no bilateral meeting scheduled with President Trump at the G7, despite the USMCA trade agreement being up for renewal. His remarks built on Canada's national AI strategy, launched on June 4, which warned that Canadian researchers, companies, and government operations are dangerously reliant on foreign-owned infrastructure.Indiatimes+1

Amazon's Role and Global Fallout

The ban was triggered after Amazon Amazon.com, Inc. ↗ 0.40% CEO Andy Jassy reportedly informed the Trump administration that his team had successfully "jailbroken" Fable 5, circumventing its safety measures in ways that could pose national security risks. The EU Commission has also pushed back, warning that the restrictions "should not be discriminatory" toward European allies.euronews+1

Anthropic described Mythos 5 as "strikingly capable," acknowledging it could surpass human experts in identifying and exploiting computer vulnerabilities. The company said it is working to resolve the administration's concerns and restore access.New York Post+1