White House Meets with Anthropic CEO Over New AI Technology

Discussions focus on Anthropic's Mythos model and potential national security, economic impacts

Apr. 17, 2026 at 10:50pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a complex cybersecurity infrastructure, with intricate hardware and digital components illuminated by neon cyan and magenta lights, conceptually representing the advanced AI-powered capabilities of Anthropic's Mythos model.Anthropic's powerful Mythos AI model poses both opportunities and risks for national cybersecurity as the company collaborates with the White House.Washington Today

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss the company's new Mythos AI model, which has drawn attention from the federal government for its potential to transform national security and the economy. The meeting explored opportunities for collaboration as well as balancing innovation and safety.

Why it matters

The Mythos model has raised concerns due to its advanced capabilities in finding and exploiting computer vulnerabilities, which could pose risks to public safety, national security, and the economy. The White House is engaging with AI companies to understand new technologies and ensure proper evaluation and safeguards.

The details

During the meeting, Wiles and Amodei discussed how Anthropic and the U.S. government can work together on priorities like cybersecurity, maintaining America's lead in the AI race, and ensuring AI safety. This comes after tensions between the Trump administration and Anthropic over the company's efforts to put guardrails on AI development. The administration had previously tried to stop federal agencies from using Anthropic's chatbot Claude, but a federal judge blocked that directive.

  • The meeting took place on Friday, April 17, 2026.
  • In February 2026, former President Trump said the administration 'will not do business with them again' in reference to Anthropic.

The players

Susie Wiles

White House Chief of Staff.

Dario Amodei

CEO of Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company.

Anthropic

An American artificial intelligence company that has developed the advanced Mythos AI model.

Donald Trump

Former President of the United States who previously sought to stop federal agencies from using Anthropic's technology.

Pete Hegseth

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense who sought to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're releasing it to a subset of some of the world's most important companies and organizations so they can use this to find vulnerabilities.”

— Jack Clark, Co-founder and policy chief, Anthropic

“Anytime Anthropic is scaring people, you have to ask, 'Is this a tactic? Is this part of their Chicken Little routine? Or is it real?'”

— David Sacks, Former White House AI and crypto czar

“Mythos Preview can exploit systems with weak security posture, and it is likely that more models with these capabilities will be developed.”

— United Kingdom's AI Security Institute

What’s next

The White House and Anthropic plan to continue discussions on how the company and the government can collaborate on key priorities such as cybersecurity, maintaining America's lead in AI, and ensuring AI safety.

The takeaway

The meeting between the White House and Anthropic highlights the growing importance of AI technology and the need for the government and private sector to work together to balance innovation and safety. As advanced AI models like Mythos continue to emerge, policymakers will need to carefully navigate the potential risks and benefits to national security and the economy.