Brussels will assess how US export rules affect European users and partners. The Commission warns measures must not discriminate and will examine practical implications.
In Brussels on June 14, the European Commission stated that it is assessing the practical consequences of the U.S. export-control directive that affects Anthropic, and that the measures should not discriminate against partners.
Anthropic said on Friday that it would abruptly shut down its most advanced models for all users after a U.S. government order to suspend access to the models for foreign nationals on national-security grounds.
“We are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of very powerful artificial intelligence models on the market. These models offer significant advantages, notably for cybersecurity, but they also raise serious cybersecurity concerns that need to be addressed.”
– European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier
“We believe that measures taken in this light should not discriminate against partners.”
– European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier
“This development is further proof of why Europe needs to strengthen its technological sovereignty.”
– European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier
“We are carefully considering the practical implications of this for European users of these services.”
– European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier
Context and implications for Europe
The European Commission emphasizes that the new rules should support a balance between AI innovation and the needs of cybersecurity and user data protection. In doing so, the regulator aims to ensure a level playing field for partners and to avoid discrimination when using external technologies.
In the EU, discussions continue on how to apply the new rules to different market players to spur AI development without compromising security and user trust. The anticipated steps and their impact on access to AI services remain a subject of further discussions between regulators and the business community.
Nevertheless, the regulator stresses the importance of transparent rules and equal conditions for partners from all countries so that the EU can continue to develop its digital economy amid global technological pressure.