European AI firms reject US calls to slow progress

Europe's leading AI firms are rejecting US calls to slow AI development, accusing American rivals of using safety concerns to cement their market dominance as Europe works to catch up. French startup Mistral and others criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's proposal for voluntary slowdowns and antitrust waivers, calling the moves "totally self-serving" and warning that arbitrary thresholds would chill open innovation. European officials echoed these concerns, citing self-interest and regulatory capture. Europe relies heavily on US-developed models, with Mistral seen as its best hope for a frontier AI challenger. German and French officials argue Europe must accelerate development to close its technological gap and achieve digital sovereignty.