Definition
Government restrictions on access to frontier AI models based on nationality or geography, enforced via licensing and geofencing. The U.S. Commerce Department can unilaterally suspend access to frontier models (e.g., Anthropic's Fable and Mythos) for foreign nationals or foreign use.
Why it matters
Export controls on AI are now national-security policy; organizations relying on frontier models face sudden access revocation if geopolitical tensions escalate. Export controls also create compliance liability for multinational teams.