WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he no longer views artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a national security threat, signaling a shift in the administration’s stance after recent discussions with the company over restrictions on access to its most advanced AI models.
Speaking in an interview with “The Axios Show” published on Friday, Trump said concerns that had led the administration to scrutinize Anthropic had eased following the company’s response to government directives. When asked whether he viewed Anthropic or its chief executive, Dario Amodei, as a threat to national security, Trump replied: “Well, not now, but a week ago, maybe.”
The comments came after a dispute between the Trump administration and Anthropic over foreign access to the company’s most advanced AI systems, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5. Earlier this month, Anthropic said it had disabled the models for all users after receiving a U.S. government order requiring it to suspend access for foreign nationals because of national security concerns. Anthropic said at the time that it had not been provided detailed information about the government’s concerns.
Senior Anthropic technical staff met with administration officials during the week to discuss the restrictions and possible paths forward, according to Reuters and Axios. Trump said the company had responded “very quickly” and “responsibly” to the administration’s concerns.
The latest remarks mark a notable change from the administration’s position earlier this year. In February and March, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly criticized Anthropic during a dispute over the military use of artificial intelligence systems. The Pentagon subsequently designated the company a supply-chain risk and federal agencies were directed to stop using its technology, according to government statements and media reports at the time.
Anthropic has challenged some of the government’s actions in court, arguing that it was unlawfully targeted after raising concerns about certain military applications of AI. The Trump administration has denied wrongdoing and defended the measures as lawful, according to court filings reported by Reuters.
In a statement cited by Axios, an Anthropic spokesperson said the company was “grateful to the administration for their ongoing partnership” and remained committed to working with officials on protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
As of Saturday, details remained unclear on whether the administration would formally reverse previous restrictions affecting Anthropic or its products. Trump said he had authority to use additional government powers if necessary but indicated he was not certain such action would be required.
