European politicians react to US decision blocking access to Anthropic's most powerful AI models
After a US government directive, Anthropic halted access to its latest AI models for foreign nationals, sparking concerns over European dependence on foreign technology.
European politicians have raised alarms over the US company Anthropic's decision to block access to its latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, following a directive from the Trump administration. The company announced late Friday that it had received a letter from the government ordering it to suspend access to these models for foreign nationals due to national security concerns. As a result, Anthropic had to abruptly disable the models for all customers to ensure compliance.
Bruno Retailleau, former French interior minister and 2027 presidential candidate, wrote on X that Washington's decision should be a wake-up call, noting that a nation dependent on others for its technology can be "unplugged overnight." He highlighted France's assets like nuclear energy and top engineers but called for an end to naivety and a strengthening of technological power.
Al Carns, British MP and former armed forces minister, said the most advanced AI model on the planet was switched off by a foreign government, affecting British researchers, companies, and hospitals that were piloting it. He described it not as an AI story but as a story of every industry the UK used to lead.
Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom, demanded his access to Anthropic Claude Fable 5 back, stating that AI is increasingly about national sovereignty and calling for the Netherlands to accelerate development of its own models.
Benjamin Haddad, French minister delegate for Europe, called the decision an accelerator of the geopolitical battle over AI, emphasizing that Europe cannot be an open market dependent on technologies designed elsewhere.
Tom Tugendhat, British MP and former security minister, said disabling Fable 5 for foreigners is not a misunderstanding but the inevitable result of technology shaping warfare so that sovereignty is more about code than cannons. He criticized Britain's focus on safety and high energy costs as building a brake that cuts off the future.
Édouard Philippe, former French prime minister and mayor of Le Havre, stated that by restricting access to non-Americans, the US government is subjecting AI development to its logic of power. He called AI a critical infrastructure as essential as electricity, and one that others can unplug if not controlled.
Jordan Bardella, MEP and president of France's far-right National Rally party, said the sudden decision reminds us that artificial intelligence is already a major issue of national sovereignty. He urged France to accelerate support for Mistral AI and the entire AI ecosystem.
