World leaders want American AI. They just don’t want America to be able to turn it off.

During the recent G7 Summit, prominent leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed significant apprehensions regarding the potential for the United States to abruptly deny access to its advanced AI technologies. Macron cautioned fellow G7 members and top AI executives, such as Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, highlighting that if the U.S. could 'turn off the switch' at any moment, it would not only jeopardize European economies but also harm the AI companies themselves. This discussion follows a recent decision by the Trump administration to prevent Anthropic from exporting its latest AI models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5, due to national security concerns. This order was prompted by Amazon's alert to the White House about potential safety vulnerabilities. Although cybersecurity experts argue that similar capabilities exist in other freely available models, including those from OpenAI, Anthropic's offerings remain restricted, showcasing a looming risk for international entities dependent on U.S. AI infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi echoed these concerns, emphasizing the necessity for democratic nations to have uninterrupted access to top-tier AI models to safeguard critical infrastructure. Aidan Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Canadian AI firm Cohere, remarked, 'The recent restriction on access to Anthropic’s models confirms what we at Cohere have known all along: that companies and democratic nations remaining dependent on a small handful of big tech companies is dangerous to resilience.' He underscored that digital sovereignty extends beyond market competition; it encompasses control over foundational technologies critical to economic and national security for years to come. The G7 leaders also explored the possibility of establishing a 'trusted partners' initiative that would allow non-U.S. nations to access advanced AI models from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. This strategy aims to create an open trade network that circumvents U.S. restrictions, enabling countries and companies to collaborate on enhancing defenses against rivals such as China. However, the scope and efficacy of this initiative remain uncertain, particularly for startups in regions like Paris or Bangalore that face sudden disruptions. Ultimately, Macron suggested that Washington should support such a scheme to ensure broader access to AI models, as the unpredictability of U.S. AI access could deter potential buyers. As the world grapples with the challenge of AI sovereignty, the pressure mounts for nations outside the U.S. to secure their place in a landscape where American AI continues to lead.