Since the beginning of this year, the relationship between U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic and the Trump administration has been "at odds." In response, Austria has suggested that the EU consider bringing Anthropic to operate within its borders, as a countermeasure to the U.S. government's move to prevent foreigners from using the company's most advanced AI models.
According to a Reuters report on June 29 local time, Austrian Digitalization State Secretary Alexander Proell emphasized in a letter to Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty and other affairs, that it is crucial to ensure Europe is not cut off from major innovations.
"Let us jointly explore the strategic relocation and cooperation of Anthropic within the EU. Here, there is legal certainty, market access, capital support, and values that align with the company's philosophy." However, Proell did not specify how to implement this measure in the letter, while acknowledging that outsiders may be skeptical about the feasibility of the idea.
Proell wrote: "The real question is not whether it is easy. The question is whether we Europeans are ready to dominate the direction of our own technological future, or are we willing to merely act as executors of decisions made by others."
According to the report, Anthropic has not yet responded to Austria's proposal.
Earlier this month, the European Commission proposed a series of legislative drafts aimed at boosting local cloud computing, AI, and semiconductor industries, and reducing dependence on major U.S. tech companies, effectively ignoring U.S. government criticism of EU restrictions on American companies.
Earlier this year, due to disagreements over how cutting-edge AI technology would be used and its role in military operations, on February 27 local time, President Trump ordered all U.S. federal agencies to immediately cease cooperation with Anthropic, though the Department of Defense and other agencies using the company's products would have a six-month transition period.
Additionally, the Pentagon had classified the company as a "supply chain risk enterprise," a designation previously applied to companies associated with so-called "foreign hostile forces." Subsequently, Anthropic briefly took the Trump administration to court.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration struck again, imposing export controls on Anthropic's two most advanced AI models.
The newly implemented export controls forced Anthropic to withdraw its new AI model, Claude Fable 5, just days after its public release. Anthropic had assured the model was safe, but shortly after its release, senior government officials developed new doubts, suspecting that the AI model's guardrails were not as robust as the company claimed.
