Trump says Anthropic talks are going fine after US banned India and other countries from accessing AI

President Donald Trump says talks with Anthropic are progressing after the company's AI access restrictions sparked concerns in India and several other countries. The issue has also reignited calls for global AI rules and cooperation among governments.

In Short

• Trump says negotiations with Anthropic are "going fine" after foreign access restrictions
• AI access concerns become a key topic at the G7 summit in France
• OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepMind leaders push for international AI safety standards

A week after access to some of Anthropic’s most advanced AI models became a global talking point, US President Donald Trump has indicated that discussions with the company are moving in a positive direction. The comments came during the G7 summit in France, where artificial intelligence emerged as one of the key subjects of discussion among world leaders and technology executives.

The issue gained attention after actions taken by the US administration led to restrictions affecting access to Anthropic’s latest AI systems outside the United States. The development triggered concerns among businesses, developers and policymakers in several countries, including India, about how access to cutting-edge AI technology could be controlled in the future.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the summit, Trump was asked about ongoing conversations with Anthropic. The president responded that the talks were moving ahead smoothly. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was present during the interaction, echoed the same view.

The remarks arrived at a time when governments are increasingly debating who should be allowed to use powerful AI models and what safeguards should exist before such systems are widely deployed.

AI access debate takes centre stage at G7 summit

The discussions around Anthropic unfolded against the backdrop of a high-profile meeting between G7 leaders and some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence. Executives attending the gathering included Anthropic chief Dario Amodei, OpenAI chief Sam Altman and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis.

While addressing reporters, Trump said the meeting had been productive and pointed to the growing amount of investment flowing into the AI sector. According to the president, artificial intelligence is becoming a major focus of infrastructure and technology development in the United States.

“We had a great meeting with AI. We had all the top people here and it was a great meeting,” Trump said. “And, as you know, we’re building tremendous numbers of plants, but AI we’re building the biggest, the biggest in the world.”

The restrictions linked to Anthropic have also fuelled concerns among some foreign governments. Critics argue that if access to advanced AI systems can be limited overnight, countries and companies may become hesitant to build long-term dependence on those platforms.

French President Emmanuel Macron raised similar concerns during the summit. While acknowledging that governments must take AI risks seriously, he suggested that solutions should involve cooperation between democratic nations rather than decisions taken by a single country.

“We won’t buy any models made by these companies if overnight, you can just flip the switch,” Macron said.

The episode has also provided an opportunity for competing AI companies outside the US to strengthen their position. Several countries are now paying closer attention to developing domestic AI capabilities rather than relying entirely on American providers.

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