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Anthropic Pulls Latest AI Models, Microsoft’s Plans For Xbox, UK Social Media Ban + more!

June 16, 2026 • 8m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

This episode of the Westminster Tech News Show covers major tech industry developments including Anthropic's forced shutdown of its AI models by the White House, Microsoft's consideration of spinning off Xbox, the UK's social media ban for children under 16, and various other tech news from state investigations into OpenAI to hardware recycling initiatives.

Anthropic's AI Model Shutdown by White House

The White House forced Anthropic to shut down access to its Mythos AI model and its public version Fable due to safety concerns. The situation escalated quickly when the administration questioned Fable's safety guardrails on Friday, leading to a tense confrontation between Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Anthropic CEO Dario Amode. After being given just 90 minutes to comply, Anthropic pulled the models and published a blog post that sparked cybersecurity experts to launch a FreeFable.org campaign demanding the restrictions be removed.

  • White House placed export controls on Anthropic's Mythos and Fable AI models
  • Administration developed doubts about Fable's safety guardrails on Friday
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Besant gave Anthropic 90 minutes to pull the models
  • Cybersecurity experts published an open letter on FreeFable.org demanding removal of restrictions
  • Anthropic sent senior staff to D.C. to resolve the situation
" Anthropic has been forced by the White House to shut down access to its too-dangerous-to-release mythos model, along with the safe-for-public-consumption, lobotomized version of it called Fable. "
" Amode pulled the classic nerd move of trying to reason with a bunch of jocks only to make them mad, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Besant to say Amode was making a bad decision and giving Anthropic 90 minutes to pull the models. "

Microsoft Considers Spinning Off Xbox

Microsoft has reportedly considered spinning off its Xbox gaming unit into a standalone company, similar to how GitHub and LinkedIn operate semi-independently. This proposal hasn't moved forward but remains on the table as Xbox undergoes a dramatic reset under new CEO Asha Sharma. The restructuring includes layoffs, studio uncertainty, and potential closures of studios like Compulsion Games, Double Fine, and the confirmed shutdown of Ninja Theory.

  • Microsoft considered spinning Xbox off into a standalone company similar to GitHub and LinkedIn
  • Xbox undergoing dramatic reset under new CEO Asha Sharma with layoffs and studio uncertainty
  • Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and chief of staff Louise O'Connor departed amid restructuring
  • Compulsion Games and Double Fine reportedly at risk of shutdown, Ninja Theory being shut down
" Microsoft, team up with Sega and make the Micro Sega Dream Box. The people want it. They don't know they want it yet, but they... Nobody knows what it is. It's provocative. They yearn for it. "

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