Bottom line: The EU plans to develop its own AI-powered cyber capabilities and secure testing platforms to reduce dependency on US export restrictions for security-critical AI models.
The European Commission is developing emergency measures and its own AI cyber capabilities after the US government temporarily blocked access to Anthropic’s vulnerability detection models in June. The blockade lasted more than two weeks until it was lifted in early July.
In June 2024, the US government under President Donald Trump ordered Anthropic (California) to block access to its AI models Claude 5 and Hermes 5 for foreign users. The justification: national security. These models are particularly suited to identifying vulnerabilities and security gaps in software. After more than two weeks, the US government lifted the export restrictions in early July.
In response to this blockade, the European Commission has adopted an action plan that provides for concrete emergency measures by the end of 2024. The goal is to equip the European Union in case a third country restricts access to AI models with potentially threatening cyber capabilities. EU Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen emphasizes: “We cannot rely solely on non-European solutions for capabilities that are crucial to our security.” She acknowledges that building Europe’s own AI cyber capabilities is costly, but the costs of dependency would be even higher.
The European Commission is working with the EU Cybersecurity Agency ENISA on several measures: a guide is intended to help large public and private institutions gain access to advanced AI models. At the same time, a secure testing platform with simulated environments is being developed. Through this platform, operators of critical infrastructure – in the areas of finance, energy, health, transport and public administration – can also gain insights and conduct AI-powered vulnerability analyses.
The Commission urges organizations to already identify and remediate IT vulnerabilities using freely accessible AI models. In the EU, the European Commission regulates AI regulation and enforces the European AI Act, which is binding for all providers.
Source: www.it-daily.net · Published 8 July 2026
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