The European Commission stated on Sunday that Anthropic's abrupt suspension of its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 artificial intelligence models for non-US users highlights the need for Europe to strengthen its technological sovereignty and reduce dependence on foreign AI providers. The comments followed a US government directive tied to national security concerns that prompted Anthropic to disable access to these advanced models for foreign users.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement that while highly capable AI systems offer benefits, including in cybersecurity defense, they also raise serious cybersecurity concerns that must be addressed. Regnier emphasized that any contingency measures adopted in response to these concerns should not be discriminatory against partners. The Commission is currently 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

Regnier noted that the episode serves as a further illustration of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty. The development reignited calls from European politicians for greater investment in homegrown AI capabilities. Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s National Rally party, said the decision demonstrates that AI has become a matter of national sovereignty. He warned that countries failing to develop their own advanced AI models risk becoming increasingly dependent on decisions made elsewhere.

Finnish Member of the European Parliament Aura Salla echoed these concerns, stating that Europe cannot continue building critical technology infrastructure on services that can be switched off overnight by a foreign government.

US Expects Restrictions To Be Temporary

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

The US action followed concerns raised by Amazon.com, Inc. CEO Andy Jassy after researchers used Anthropic’s Fable 5 model to obtain information that could aid cyberattacks. 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 Amazon and Alphabet Inc. Earlier this month, Anthropic confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

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