The US government’s sudden decision to block foreign access to Anthropic's powerful Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models has sent shockwaves through the global tech community. In the UK, ministers have called for greater domestic AI capabilities as a matter of national security.

In France, political leaders like Emmanuel Macron's candidate Gabriel Attal are warning that this is part of an emerging ‘AI war’, where access to technology can be used as a strategic weapon. They argue that relying on US tech leaves countries vulnerable and need to develop their own solutions quickly.

The incident highlights the growing unease over America’s reliability, particularly during the Trump administration. Canada echoes similar concerns, with Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for diversification of AI sources to avoid overreliance on any single provider.

While China and other countries like Singapore are further down this path, many nations see a need to invest in their own AI capabilities. The shutdown has accelerated efforts towards tech sovereignty, as governments recognize the importance of controlling key technologies.