Artificial intelligence and access to advanced AI systems emerged as a key topic at the G7 summit in France, as Western leaders discussed regulation, security and access to the technology.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for stronger international regulation of AI, warning that its impact on democratic societies can no longer be ignored.
"We all want to harness the opportunities, productivity gains, changes, and improvements in health and digitalization that AI can bring," Macron said at the close of the summit in the spa town of Évian.
"But no one can any longer ignore the impact of AI on our democracies and our societies," he said, arguing that regulation was needed at the international level.
Against the backdrop of a recent US government-directed move by Anthropic to restrict access to some of its most advanced AI models for foreign nationals, Macron called for closer cooperation among democratic countries.
Better regulation of advanced AI systems was needed "to prevent them from falling into the hands of authoritarian regimes or individuals who could threaten our cybersecurity or our societies," he said.
The restrictions imposed on Anthropic's software have fuelled concerns in Europe about the continent's dependence on US technology.
At the G7 summit, leaders discussed ways to narrow a growing divide with Washington over access to cutting-edge AI systems and explored common principles for ensuring countries can benefit from the technology, although they did not agree on a joint declaration.
Macron said several democratic powers would begin building a cooperation platform in the coming months aimed at establishing common AI standards, including in the field of cybersecurity.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called for closer cooperation between Europe and the United States on AI.
"AI is developing exponentially. It is the most important technology of our time. It comes with immense potential, but also risks for free, democratic societies," von der Leyen said.
Europe and the United States possessed complementary strengths, shared security interests and a common responsibility to provide leadership, she said.
Together, they should accelerate the deployment of advanced AI across sectors ranging from industry to healthcare while ensuring the most powerful models remain trustworthy and safe.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Europe needed to engage with Washington to ensure the benefits of the technology remain accessible to all countries.
