Austria urges Europe to host Anthropic following US curbs on AI access

Published 28 Jun, 2026 08:47pm 1 min read

Austria has proposed that the European Union should consider hosting Anthropic within ​the bloc’s borders in order to counter efforts ‌by the United States to block foreigners from using the AI company’s most advanced models.

In a letter to EU Technology Commissioner Henna ​Virkkunen released by the Austrian government, Austria’s State ​Secretary for Digitalisation, Alexander Proell, wrote it was ⁠important that Europe was not cut off from major ​innovations.

“Let us jointly explore the strategic establishment and participation of ​Anthropic within the European Union. With legal certainty, market access, capital and a set of values that suit this company,” Proell ​said in the letter.

He did not say how the ​step could be taken and acknowledged there would be scepticism about whether ‌it ⁠was possible.

“The real question is not whether it is easy,” Proell wrote. “The question is whether we Europeans are prepared to be the architects of our technological future, ​or whether we ​wish to ⁠remain mere administrators of decisions made elsewhere.”

Anthropic did not immediately reply to a request ​for comment on the Austrian proposal.

Earlier this month, ​the ⁠European Commission proposed laws to boost domestic cloud, AI and semiconductor industries and cut reliance on US Big Tech, defying ⁠US ​government criticism of the bloc’s crackdown ​on its industry.

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