If left unchecked, the administration’s assertion of control would allow it to censor models that contradict the government’s preferred views or punish developers who oppose the administration. And other AI companies and users are now forced to grapple with uncertainty regarding what they may develop, deploy, and engage with without crossing the administration’s invisible line.
The administration’s action follows President Trump making plain his hostility to Anthropic, calling it a “radical left, woke” company, a stance shared by members of his cabinet. Last March, the administration deemed Anthropic insufficiently “patriotic” over model guardrails it disagreed with — ultimately designating it a “supply chain risk,” again citing national security grounds. But simply invoking national security does not immunize government officials from their constitutional obligations or give them carte blanche to punish speech.
Heavy-handed, arbitrary, behind-the-scenes governmental bullying is anathema to our free society, in any form. And its unacceptability is at its apex when directed to an endeavor that is inherently expressive, as is the creation and use of tools like Fable and Mythos.