Austria proposes Anthropic move to strengthen EU AI
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- Austria has urged the European Union to explore bringing Anthropic into Europe following US restrictions on access to its advanced AI models.
- The proposal aligns with the European Commission's push to strengthen the region's AI, cloud computing and semiconductor industries.
- Anthropic also faces legal scrutiny in the United States over claims its premium Claude subscriptions delivered less usage than advertised.
Austria's State Secretary for Digitalisation Alexander Proell has urged the European Union to explore strategic participation in Anthropic, arguing that recent US export restrictions highlight the need for Europe to secure long-term access to advanced artificial intelligence technologies.
The proposal follows US government export controls that prompted Anthropic to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models for foreign nationals, including some employees working in the United States, because of security concerns.
"Europe should decide whether it wants to shape its own technological future or continue relying on decisions taken elsewhere," Proell wrote in a letter to European Commissioner for Technology Henna Virkkunen.
Proell said the European Union could offer Anthropic legal certainty, investment, market access and a values-based operating environment, while acknowledging that any strategic partnership would face political and practical challenges.
The proposal comes as the European Commission advances policies to strengthen Europe's AI, cloud computing and semiconductor industries, and as Anthropic is a privately held company there was no share price reaction.
Separately, JPMorgan Chase reportedly removed Anthropic's Claude models from approved AI tools for employees in Hong Kong because of licensing restrictions, while Goldman Sachs previously introduced similar limits covering Greater China.
Anthropic is also defending a proposed class action in the United States alleging its US$100 per month Max 5x and US$200 per month Max 20x Claude subscriptions delivered less usage than advertised, shortly after the company released a policy proposal calling for stronger government oversight of advanced AI systems.