BRUSSELS — The European Commission announced Sunday that it is examining the real-world impact of a U.S. export control directive targeting artificial intelligence company Anthropic, and said any such measures should not unfairly target allied nations.
Anthropic revealed Friday that it would be forced to “abruptly disable” its most advanced AI models for all users following a U.S. government order requiring the company to cut off access for foreign nationals. The government cited national security as the reason for the directive.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier addressed the situation in a formal statement, saying, “We are seeing a new generation of highly capable AI models reach the market. These models offer significant benefits, including for cyber-defence, but they also raise serious cybersecurity concerns that need to be addressed.”
Regnier added that “contingency measures taken in this light should not be discriminatory against partners.”
He also used the situation to make a broader point about European independence in the technology sector. “This development is a further illustration of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty,” Regnier said. “We are looking closely at the practical consequences of this for European users of these services.”
