White House quiet on OpenAI's Mythos-like model
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
OpenAI rolled out a cybersecurity model that rivals the capabilities of Mythos — without nearly as much fanfare or political pushback as Anthropic received.
Why it matters: The seemingly straightforward model release raises questions about what actually triggered the Trump administration's concerns about Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
Catch up quick: OpenAI debuted an update to GPT-5.5-Cyber on Monday as part of a slew of announcements aimed at deepening its work with cybersecurity companies and researchers.
Yes, but: The new GPT-5.5-Cyber achieved an 85.6% score in CyberGym, an internal benchmark that measures whether an AI agent can reproduce known software vulnerabilities.
- In comparison, Mythos 5 scored 83.8% on the same evaluation.
Between the lines: It's unclear why OpenAI was able to move forward with this model release while Anthropic is stuck fighting export controls that bar it from allowing foreign nationals to use its models.
- The White House and OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment.
The intrigue: OpenAI also said it has expanded its partnerships with organizations in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, South Korea and the EU.
- Meanwhile, negotiating access to Mythos was a major talking point at last week's G7 Summit.
What to watch: Reports suggest that personality clashes between Anthropic and the Trump administration also prompted the export directive.
Go deeper: Trump's Anthropic crackdown rattles cyber defenders
