G7 Leaders Debate AI Sovereignty After U.S. Restricts Anthropic Models

At a G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, world leaders and technology executives clashed over AI protectionism after Donald Trump ordered the AI company Anthropic to suspend foreign access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models on national security grounds. The restriction forced Anthropic to temporarily disable the models worldwide, sparking concerns over Europe's technological dependence on U.S. infrastructure.

In response, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocated for a "trusted partners" framework to grant selected allies privileged access for research and cybersecurity. While the European Commission proposed laws to boost domestic "gigafactories" and technological sovereignty, leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the need for intensive coordination with Washington. Meanwhile, AI CEOs including Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Demis Hassabis urged the formation of a U.S.-led global coalition to establish international technical standards and prevent a splintering of AI policy into separate blocs.

Beyond AI, the G7 issued a joint declaration with partners including India, Brazil, and Kenya to protect children online through "safety-by-design" protocols. This coincided with announcements of social media bans for minors in the UK and France. The summit also addressed global security, with the G7 supporting a tentative U.S.-Iran deal to ensure toll-free shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and pledging further military aid to Ukraine.