How Anthropic may have talked itself into an AI export ban

Anthropic has warned about the dangers of advanced AI far more often than rival OpenAI this year, according to FT analysis, as critics accuse the company of helping to trigger a US ban on foreign access to its newest models. Five in every 1,000 words used by Anthropic in 2026 related to risk, regulation or restrictions, according to FT research that analysed official statements, social media posts and articles written by the company or its chief Dario Amodei.

The equivalent figure for OpenAI and Sam Altman was eight times lower at 0.6 words per 1,000. The comparison has become politically charged after Washington last week barred foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s latest models, Mythos and Fable. Some technologists have blamed the decision on the $965 billion AI group’s repeated warnings about AI’s risk to society—particularly in relation to Mythos.