Frontier AI race tightens as rivals close in on U.S. lead

Five Eyes intelligence agencies warn that frontier AI capable of crippling governments and businesses is near, with cheaper models from China and Japan narrowing the U.S. lead. Japan's Fugu Ultra strategy and open-source Chinese models accelerate progress, while export controls on Anthropic’s Mythos/Fable complicate domestic access. Analysts urge a whole-of-society approach to cyber resilience and deliberate AI use to defend leadership without stifling innovation, as rivals race ahead and the geopolitical stakes rise.