EU Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen Criticizes US AI Export Restrictions

EU Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen said the United States’ new export restrictions on Anthropic’s AI models are “not the right approach” and should be coordinated with international partners. She warned that such controls could deepen Europe’s dependence on foreign technology and urged the development of indigenous AI capacity. Virkkunen emphasized that “sovereignty does not mean protectionism” and called on “democrats to work together on AI”. The remarks were made in Brussels while the EU’s Tech Sovereignty Package seeks to strengthen digital independence.