Trump Admin's Move To Curb Use Of Powerful Anthropic AI Models By Non-US Citizens Gets EU Response: 'Should Not Be Discriminatory Against Partners'

On Sunday, the European Commission said the abrupt suspension of Anthropic’s most advanced artificial intelligence models for foreign users highlights the need for Europe to strengthen its technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign AI providers.

European Commission Reviews Impact Of Anthropic AI Restrictions

The comments came after Anthropic said it would disable access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models for non-U.S. users following a U.S. government directive tied to national security concerns.

“We are seeing a new generation of highly capable AI models reach the market,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement, Reuters reported.

While such systems can provide benefits, including in cybersecurity defense, they also raise “serious cybersecurity concerns that need to be addressed,” he said.

Regnier added that any contingency measures adopted in response to those concerns “should not be discriminatory against partners.”

The European Commission said it is closely evaluating the practical implications of the move for European users and businesses that rely on access to advanced AI services.

AI Sovereignty Debate Gains Momentum In Europe

Regnier said the episode serves as “a further illustration of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty.”

The development quickly reignited calls from European politicians for greater investment in homegrown AI capabilities.

Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally party and a leading contender in the country’s next presidential election, said the decision demonstrated that AI has become a matter of national sovereignty.

He warned that countries that fail to develop their own advanced AI models risk becoming increasingly dependent on decisions made elsewhere.

Finnish Member of the European Parliament Aura Salla echoed those concerns, saying Europe cannot continue building critical technology infrastructure on services that can be “switched off overnight” by a foreign government, Politico reported.

US Expects Restrictions To Be Temporary

The U.S. government is reportedly expected to lift the export controls once Anthropic addresses the safety concerns that prompted the restrictions.

David Sacks, co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said the administration hopes Anthropic can quickly remediate the issue so the models can return to general availability.

The controversy has also drawn renewed attention to France-based AI startup Mistral, widely viewed as Europe’s strongest contender in the race to develop frontier AI models.

Previously, it was also reported that the U.S. action followed concerns raised by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) CEO Andy Jassy after researchers used Anthropic’s Fable 5 model to obtain information that could aid cyberattacks.

Anthropic’s IPO Momentum Builds

In May, Anthropic overtook OpenAI as the world’s most valuable startup after a $65 billion funding round valued it at $965 billion. The company is backed by the likes of Amazon and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).

Earlier this month, Anthropic confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Price Action: Amazon closed at $238.55 on Friday, down 1.23% and edging up 0.05% to $238.67 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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