Anthropic · DeepSeek · Claude · U.S. · Anthropic
For example, frontier AI labs routinely distill their own models to create smaller, cheaper versions for their customers
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These campaigns are growing in intensity and sophistication.
Key facts
- In one case, a single proxy network managed more than 20,000 fraudulent accounts simultaneously, mixing distillation traffic with unrelated customer requests to make detection harder
- When they released a new model during MiniMax’s active campaign, they pivoted within 24 hours, redirecting nearly half their traffic to capture capabilities from their latest system
- For example, frontier AI labs routinely distill their own models to create smaller, cheaper versions for their customers
- Addressing it will require rapid, coordinated action among industry players, policymakers, and the global AI community
Summary
These labs used a technique called “distillation,” which involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one. Illicitly distilled models lack necessary safeguards, creating significant national security risks. Foreign labs that distill American models can then feed these unprotected capabilities into military, intelligence, and surveillance systems—enabling authoritarian governments to deploy frontier AI for offensive cyber operations, disinformation campaigns, and mass surveillance. Anthropic has consistently supported export controls to help maintain America’s lead in AI.