President Donald Trump's executive order banning foreign nations from using the latest iterations of U.S. firm Anthropic's artificial intelligence models has sparked a sharp backlash from the tech industry, with many experts calling the measure unworkable and potentially harmful to global AI development.
According to a White House statement issued on June 12, 2026, the ban targets 'advanced AI models' from Anthropic, citing national security concerns. The order specifically prohibits foreign entities from accessing or deploying Anthropic's newest models, which the administration claims could be used for cyberattacks or disinformation campaigns.
Tech leaders and AI researchers have criticized the ban, arguing that it is impractical to enforce and could stifle innovation. 'This is a misguided approach that will only push AI development overseas,' said Dr. Sarah Chen, a professor of computer science at MIT, in a statement to Reuters. 'The global nature of AI research makes such bans nearly impossible to implement.'
Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI safety company, has not publicly commented on the order. However, industry analysts note that the company's models are already widely used in research and commercial applications worldwide, raising questions about how the ban would be enforced.
The controversy comes amid ongoing debates about AI regulation in the U.S., with some lawmakers calling for more targeted measures to address specific risks without hindering international collaboration.
