The US government's decision to restrict non-US citizens from accessing Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models has sparked a broader debate on technological sovereignty across Europe. European officials and researchers are now evaluating the implications of the US export control order, which forced Anthropic to shut down its most advanced models globally. The European Commission is weighing the practical impact of the move, with officials emphasizing the need for non-discriminatory emergency measures. Thomas Regnier, the Commission's spokesperson for technological sovereignty, stated that the situation highlights the importance of strengthening European technological independence. 'This is a further illustration of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty,' he added, according to Reuters.
European researchers have echoed the call for greater self-reliance in AI development, though they disagree on the best path forward. Thorsten Holz of the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy noted that the shutdown of a model by a foreign government underscores the risks of relying on external technology. 'Digital sovereignty doesn't mean self-sufficiency. It means being able to use critical technology even during geopolitical conflicts,' he argued. Konrad Rieck of TU Berlin warned that US models can be 'shut off at any time, sometimes for opaque reasons,' and stressed the need for Europe to develop its own capable models. Gitta Kutyniok of LMU Munich called for an 'Airbus moment' for AI, advocating for joint investment in foundation models, chip design, and energy-efficient computing.
Despite the urgency, some researchers believe Europe cannot compete with the US in developing models like Mythos or Fable 5. Paul Röttger of the Oxford Internet Institute argued that access should be secured through contracts tied to data center investments and supported by credible trade policy threats. Matthias Hein of the University of Tübingen warned that Europe needs not just one but several providers of its own AI models, as commercial companies may not consistently release open-weight models. Jonas Geiping of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen highlighted structural barriers, noting that French company Mistral has 'fallen far behind' in recent years. He also cautioned against drawing historical parallels to nuclear weapons tensions, arguing that AI is deeply integrated into the economy and its restriction could damage European economic processes.
Source: thedecoder
