The U.S. government has reportedly blocked Anthropic’s plan to expand access to its “Mythos” AI model to 120 companies, citing national security risks and concerns over limited computing power.
Key Points
- The Expansion Dispute: Anthropic proposed increasing the number of organizations with access to its powerful “Mythos” model from approximately 50 to 120. The White House opposed this, fearing the technology could be exploited if spread too thin.
- Military Usage Friction: The tension stems from Anthropic’s refusal to grant the U.S. military “unconditional use” of its software, leading to a breakdown in ties between the startup and the Trump administration.
- Project “Glasswing”: Anthropic has avoided a public release of Mythos. Instead, it operates under “Glasswing,” a controlled project sharing the model with tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia specifically to bolster their security infrastructure.
Issue related to Public Release
- National Security Risk: In February 2026, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic as a “national security supply chain risk,” leading to an executive order for the government to cease using the company’s tech.
- Resource Scarcity (Compute Power): Authorities expressed concern that Anthropic lacks the “compute” (processing power) to support 120 companies simultaneously without degrading the performance required for priority government tasks.
- The “Mythos” Capability: Anthropic claims the model is revolutionary because it can identify “undiscovered security loopholes” that have existed for decades—vulnerabilities that have eluded both human experts and traditional automated scanners.
- Legal Conflict: Anthropic is currently challenging the government’s restrictive measures and its “security risk” designation in court, marking a significant legal battle over AI sovereignty.
AI Sovereignty
- AI Sovereignty (or Sovereign AI) is the strategic capacity of a nation or organization to develop, host, and govern its own artificial intelligence ecosystem.
- It ensure independence from external geopolitical or corporate control.
- In 2026, this concept has shifted from a theoretical debate to a foundational pillar of national security.
- It is no longer just about owning the “brain” (the model), but about controlling the “fuel” (data) and the “engine” (compute hardware).
Pillars of AI Sovereignty
To achieve true sovereignty, a nation must manage a complex “AI stack.” A failure in any one layer creates a strategic dependency.
- Territorial Sovereignty (Compute): The physical location of the GPUs (like Nvidia’s H100s or newer 2026 iterations) and the data centers. Without local “compute,” a country is at the mercy of foreign cloud providers who can “turn off the lights” during a diplomatic crisis.
- Data Sovereignty: Ensuring that training data—especially sensitive citizen information—is stored and processed under domestic laws. This prevents foreign entities from using a nation’s data to train models that might later be used against it.
- Technological Sovereignty (Models): Developing “Homegrown Models” (e.g., India’s planned February 2026 foundational model). This ensures the AI reflects a nation’s specific languages, cultural nuances, and ethical values.
- Operational Sovereignty: The ability to run and maintain these systems without requiring “unconditional access” or “backdoors” from foreign vendors.
Global Case Studies (2026 Status)
| Region | Strategy | Key Focus |
| India | “IndiaAI Mission” | Building a national GPU cluster and a multilingual foundational model trained on Indian regional data. |
| European Union | Regulatory Sovereignty | Using the EU AI Act to force foreign firms to comply with strict safety and “European preference” procurement rules. |
| USA | Export Leadership | Promoting an “American AI Stack” to allies while restricting high-end models (like Mythos) to maintain a military edge. |
| China | Full-Stack Autarky | Attempting total self-sufficiency in everything from lithography (chip making) to foundational models. |
Anthropic and Mythos
- This is a leading American AI safety and research company (the creator of the Claude chatbot).
- It was founded by former OpenAI executives with a focus on “Constitutional AI,”.
- Constitutional AI aims to make AI systems more controllable and predictable.
- Mythos is the code name for Anthropic’s latest, high-end AI model.
- Unlike standard chatbots, Mythos appears specialized in cybersecurity analysis.
- It is capable of spotting deep-seated flaws in software code that could be used for either defense or state-sponsored hacking.
UPSC Practice Questions
Prelims (PT) Question
Q. The term “Glasswing,” recently seen in the news in the context of Artificial Intelligence, refers to:
A) A new satellite-based internet service for remote regions.
B) A collaborative project to use AI for improving corporate security infrastructure.
C) A government initiative to monitor deep-sea communication cables.
D) A startup focused on manufacturing AI-powered drones for agriculture.
Answer: B) A collaborative project to use AI for improving corporate security infrastructure.
Mains Question
Q. “The intersection of Artificial Intelligence and National Security is creating a new era of ‘Tech-Nationalism’ where governments and private developers are often at odds.” Discuss this statement in light of the recent disputes between the U.S. government and AI developers. (250 words)