Regulation Market: Austria Proposes Bringing Anthropic to Europe Amid US Export Controls

Austria is urging the European Union to explore establishing US AI company Anthropic within the bloc. In a letter to EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, State Secretary for Digitalisation Alexander Pröll proposed jointly examining the 'strategic establishment and participation of Anthropic within the European Union.' The proposal was triggered by US export controls that forced Anthropic to disable its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models worldwide in early June after the Commerce Department barred access by foreign nationals. Anthropic called the move a misunderstanding and later received limited clearance for Mythos 5. Pröll argues Anthropic's safety-first approach aligns with European values and would boost digital sovereignty. Experts doubt the plan's feasibility, noting Europe cannot match US capital and that Anthropic is preparing a US stock-market listing. Anthropic is also challenging a Pentagon risk classification in court. Brussels has not yet responded.