Anthropic unveiled the Claude Fable and Mythos models on Monday, two new artificial intelligence systems, as the OpenAI rival moves to strengthen its place in the fast-growing AI market ahead of a planned stock market listing.
Dawn reported on Tuesday that the launch comes as competition among the leading AI firms sharpens, with each company racing to win over developers and business customers.
Claude Fable and Mythos: two models, two jobs
The company said Claude Fable 5.2 was designed for coding, reasoning and AI agent tasks. It is the general-purpose model of the pair, aimed at developers who want an AI system that can write code, work through problems and carry out multi-step tasks with less supervision.
Claude Mythos 5.2 was developed for approved cybersecurity and life-sciences research. Access to it will be restricted to organisations approved through Anthropic’s verification programmes for those two fields, while Claude Fable 5.2 will be available more broadly.
The split shows how AI firms now draw a line between everyday tools and models that could be used in sensitive areas. Cybersecurity and life-sciences research carry clear risks if the technology falls into the wrong hands, so Anthropic has kept Mythos behind a vetting process rather than opening it to all users.
Faster output and lower prices
Anthropic said the new models could generate outputs up to 30 per cent faster than their Claude 5.1 predecessors and communicate more clearly with users. Speed matters to developers because slower models add waiting time to every coding task, and clearer answers cut down the back-and-forth needed to fix mistakes.
The models are priced at $8 per million input tokens and $40 per million output tokens, lower than the prices of previous Fable and Mythos releases, according to the company. Tokens are the small chunks of text that AI models read and write, so the price sets what developers pay each time they send a prompt or receive an answer. Lower prices make it cheaper to build products on top of the models, which is one reason firms compete so hard on this figure.
The launch follows Anthropic’s introduction of Claude Haiku 5.5 in October, as the AI startup expands its product range ahead of a planned initial public offering. Haiku is the company’s lighter, quicker model, while Fable and Mythos sit at the top of its range.
What it means for Pakistan’s software sector
The launch lands at a time when Pakistan’s technology exports are growing fast. The country’s IT exports reached $4.6 billion in the last financial year, with a target of $10 billion by 2029, according to figures cited in P@SHA’s warning about raids on IT firms. Around 70,000 graduates enter the sector each year.
Cheaper and faster coding models matter directly to that sector. Pakistani software houses and freelance developers already use AI tools to write code, test it and fix errors. A model that works 30 per cent faster at a lower price can cut project costs and let small teams take on more work. For freelancers competing on global platforms, the price of the tools they use shapes what they can charge and how quickly they can deliver.
The picture is not all simple. Access to AI training and tools remains uneven in rural Pakistan, where poor connectivity and a lack of devices hold back many would-be users. The gains from new models will reach cities and connected firms first, while the rest of the country catches up more slowly.
The race behind the launch
Competition in the artificial intelligence industry has intensified, with OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google and Meta Platforms rolling out new models focused on coding, reasoning and AI agents to attract developers and enterprise customers.
Each firm is trying to lock in the developers who build products on its models, because those developers bring their customers with them. Anthropic has built its name on safety research and careful releases, while its rivals have moved faster and spent more. The Fable and Mythos launch is its latest attempt to show it can match them on speed and price as well.
The planned IPO adds pressure. A public listing will put Anthropic’s growth and revenue under far closer watch, and new models are the clearest way for an AI firm to show investors it is still moving forward. The company has also been expanding its partnerships, including a security agreement with OpenAI reported earlier this month, even as the two firms compete for the same customers.
The wider policy debate is moving just as fast. In the United States, lawmakers have been pushing new rules for AI, and Democrats in Congress have tabled bills on the technology, while the White House has pressed ahead with its own plans for superintelligence.
Frequently asked questions
What are Claude Fable 5.2 and Claude Mythos 5.2?
They are Anthropic’s two newest AI models. Fable 5.2 is built for coding, reasoning and AI agent tasks, while Mythos 5.2 is built for approved cybersecurity and life-sciences research.
How much do the new models cost?
Anthropic has priced them at $8 per million input tokens and $40 per million output tokens, lower than the prices of previous Fable and Mythos releases.
How much faster are they than the older models?
The company said the new models could generate outputs up to 30 per cent faster than their Claude 5.1 predecessors and communicate more clearly with users.
Who can use Claude Mythos 5.2?
Access is restricted to organisations approved through Anthropic’s verification programmes for cybersecurity and life-sciences research. Claude Fable 5.2 will be available more broadly.
Why is Anthropic launching new models now?
The company is expanding its range ahead of a planned stock market listing, while competition with OpenAI, Google and Meta over developers and business customers continues to grow.
