AI executives gather at G7 as Europeans seek checks on American dominance

French President Emmanuel Macron called on the world’s wealthy democracies to collaborate on regulating advanced artificial intelligence (AI) during a high-level meeting at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. The event included top AI executives such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who discussed ensuring the safe and effective deployment of AI systems. Macron described the Trump administration’s recent directive restricting foreign access to Anthropic’s newest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, as a ‘strictly nationalist’ reaction, though he acknowledged the concerns over potential risks. The White House order forced Anthropic to temporarily take its models offline, prompting criticism from European leaders over U.S. dominance in AI development. Macron urged the U.S. to avoid isolating itself, warning that such policies could undermine the value of American tech firms and leave democratic nations vulnerable to authoritarian regimes gaining access to advanced AI. Altman echoed Macron’s call, stating that AI’s future must be shaped by democratic institutions and global cooperation rather than individual companies. He proposed an international forum to establish testing standards, risk assessments, and cross-national collaboration. Aidan Gomez, CEO of Canada’s Cohere AI, echoed this sentiment, noting that discussions focused on ensuring the G7 not only leads in AI capability but also fosters a competitive second-tier AI ecosystem to counterbalance U.S. and Chinese dominance. The meeting followed a G7 working lunch where AI leaders and policymakers discussed governance frameworks to prevent misuse of frontier AI models. Macron emphasized the need for government-to-government cooperation in cybersecurity and AI safety, while also announcing France’s plan to increase funding for its domestic AI industry as a safeguard against potential disruptions in international collaboration. Anthropic defended its compliance with the U.S. directive, arguing that the government’s actions were disproportionate to the security concerns raised. The debate highlighted growing tensions between the U.S. and Europe over AI regulation, with European leaders pushing for a more inclusive, multilateral approach to prevent technological fragmentation.