US and India locked in ‘sensitive’ national security talks over access to Anthropic’s Fable AI model

The US and India are currently locked in high-level, “sensitive” national security discussions regarding the release and long-term reliability of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, including those developed by Anthropic, a report has said, adding that the ongoing dialogue has been confirmed by top officials from both nations.

The talks come at a time when India is integrating AI into its digital ecosystem and governance systems, but there are fears that sudden export restrictions or geopolitical shifts could abruptly cut off access to vital foundational AI models.

Us says it is following ‘gradual and measured’ approach for AI release

US Under Secretary of Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said that Washington is prioritising a secure, highly collaborative approach to frontier AI technology with New Delhi.

Speaking about the rollout of advanced systems like Anthropic's “Fable” model, Helberg stressed that the US is committed to a “gradual, measured approach” to ensure the software is safe for both countries and their allies.“We continue to have ongoing conversations about this topic with our Indian friends. These are very sensitive national security discussions that are not quite right for public consumption. But I think both sides really understand each other's perspectives.

Our intention is very much to continue a gradual, measured approach to how we release Anthropic's models in a way that is safe... for our critical infrastructure, for our power grid,” Helberg said on the sidelines of the 2nd Pax Silica Summit in Washington, as per news agency ANI.

India seeks protections against ‘abrupt cutoffs’

When it comes to India, foundational AI technologies are being viewed as critical infrastructure, meaning sudden disruptions could paralyse long-term projects, public utilities and financial systems.

S. Krishnan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), explained that India explicitly raised concerns with the US regarding the long-term reliability of advanced models like Anthropic's Claude.

These anxieties were heightened after the US Commerce Department issued an export control directive requiring Anthropic to restrict foreign nationals from using its newly launched Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models.“We sought an understanding of how exactly the US is looking at this particular aspect... because if it is something which is to be used and made available, we can't have abrupt cutoffs,” Krishnan stated.US officials have reportedly provided India with a clearer picture of their regulatory framework. According to Krishnan, the US gave assurances that it would work to ensure that access to crucial technology does not become a challenge for trusted global partners moving forward.