Korean Telecom Behemoth Involved in Anthropic’s Mythos Dispute

The Trump administration’s decision to enforce export controls on Anthropic’s advanced AI technology arose after a dispute regarding the company’s decision to provide South Korean telecom leader SK Telecom with access to its Claude Mythos model, as reported by sources familiar with the situation. Officials in the US expressed concerns about alleged connections between SK Telecom and China, according to those sources.

These worries intensified when Amazon later alerted the White House about potential vulnerabilities in Fable 5, a highly secured version of Mythos released to the public on June 9. Researchers from Amazon claimed it was possible to bypass some of Fable 5’s protective measures and tap into Mythos’ formidable cyber capabilities, although Anthropic and external cybersecurity experts contended that such risks are not exclusive to Claude.

This series of events ultimately led the White House to conclude that it could not rely on Anthropic to protect its most sophisticated AI technology, according to an individual close to the administration. On Friday, the Trump administration mandated that Anthropic revoke access to Mythos and Fable 5 for all foreign nationals, including immigrants within the US.

Rather than implement access restrictions based on nationality—a complex process that would be challenging while upholding privacy—Anthropic opted to completely disable access to the models. Tensions remain between the White House and Anthropic after several days of negotiations aimed at reinstating Claude Mythos and Fable 5.

Anthropic chose not to comment. The White House and SK Telecom did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Previously, The Washington Post reported that Trump administration officials were troubled to discover that the Mythos recipients included a “South Korean telecommunications company” suspected of having links to China, although the article did not specify the company. In response, SK Telecom stated to a Korean news outlet that the “anonymous insider’s remarks in foreign media lack verified facts, and our company has no connections to China.”

A source associated with Anthropic explained that the company regarded SK Telecom’s access to Mythos and the vulnerabilities identified by Amazon as distinct issues. They pointed out that the letter sent from the US government to Anthropic, demanding restrictions on Claude Mythos and Fable 5 access to US nationals, does not mention the Korean company or China.

Given Claude Mythos’ exceptional ability to uncover software vulnerabilities, Anthropic limited initial access to a select group of trusted organizations through a program called Project Glasswing. Earlier this month, SK Telecom, the largest wireless carrier in South Korea, became one of about 150 companies granted access to Mythos as Anthropic broadened the program “following several weeks of close collaboration” with external experts and the US government.

SK Telecom has invested in Anthropic multiple times, including a $100 million investment in 2023 that coincided with the establishment of a commercial partnership to develop an AI model specifically for the telecommunications sector. It was among several Korean organizations involved in Project Glasswing, alongside Samsung Electronics and the Korea Internet & ​Security Agency.

Shortly after the announcement of the latest expansion of Project Glasswing, the White House requested that Anthropic revoke SK Telecom’s access to Mythos, according to a person close to the AI lab. The company promptly complied, sources inform WIRED, and the US government did not threaten to impose export controls on the model at that time.

Although SK Telecom itself may not have significant operations in China, it is part of a larger conglomerate known as SK Group, whose affiliates have extensive business interests in China across various sectors, including semiconductors and energy.