WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he no longer views artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a national security threat, marking a significant shift in the administration’s position after months of disputes over the company’s advanced AI systems and access restrictions for foreign users.
In an interview with “The Axios Show” published on June 19 and still drawing attention on Monday, Trump said he may have considered Anthropic a threat a week earlier but had changed his view following discussions between company representatives and administration officials.
Asked whether he regarded Anthropic or its chief executive, Dario Amodei, as a national security threat, Trump replied: “Well, not now, but a week ago, maybe,” according to the interview. He also said Amodei had responded to administration concerns “very quickly” and “responsibly.”
The remarks followed a dispute over Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5. Earlier this month, the administration ordered the company to restrict access to those systems by foreign nationals because of what officials described as national security concerns. In response, Anthropic temporarily disabled access to the models for all users while discussions with federal officials continued.
The controversy represented a sharp escalation in tensions between the White House and the AI developer. Earlier this year, the administration moved to blacklist Anthropic from certain federal activities, and the Pentagon designated the company a supply-chain risk after disagreements over military uses of artificial intelligence. Administration officials at the time said the company’s actions posed risks to national security, while Anthropic challenged the measures in court and denied wrongdoing.
The latest comments suggest relations may be improving. Trump met Amodei and other technology executives during the Group of Seven summit in France last week. Following those discussions, Trump told reporters that negotiations with Anthropic were “going fine.”
Anthropic welcomed the apparent easing of tensions. In a statement cited by Reuters, a company spokesperson said: “We are grateful to the administration for their ongoing partnership in working to get this matter resolved as quickly as possible.” The spokesperson added that the company remained committed to protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
Despite the change in tone, Trump did not rule out future government intervention. According to Axios, he said the administration retains authority to invoke emergency powers under the Defense Production Act if necessary, though he added that he was not certain such action would be required.
As of Monday, restrictions affecting Anthropic’s most advanced AI models remained under review, and neither the White House nor the company had announced a final resolution to the dispute. Details regarding any future regulatory actions remain unclear.
