G7 weighs ‘trusted partner’ access to top US AI models

TL;DR:

  • G7 leaders discussed a plan to grant select “trusted partners” access to advanced US AI models such as Anthropic’s, three diplomatic sources told Reuters.
  • The talks, mainly with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, could open a path around restrictions on non-American use.
  • “Trusted partners” could be either countries or companies, with broader access pitched as a way to strengthen allied cyber defences.

G7 leaders meeting at Evian-les-Bains have discussed a workaround to the US export curbs that abruptly cut foreign nationals off from the most advanced American AI models. According to three diplomatic sources, representatives raised the idea of granting select “trusted partners” access to cutting-edge models from firms such as Anthropic, in talks held largely with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the summit’s sidelines.

A possible route back in

The scheme could cover countries or companies, a second source said, with proponents arguing that wider access would let G7 nations build stronger cybersecurity defences against rivals such as China. The discussion follows Anthropic’s move on Friday to disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all users after President Trump ordered it to block foreign access on national security grounds. A White House official said the administration keeps “an open line of communication with our allies”. Anthropic, OpenAI and Google executives were due at a working lunch to discuss regulation and infrastructure.

For UK readers this is the meaningful next move in a saga Resultsense has tracked closely. Washington has already rejected Britain’s bilateral plea for a carve-out after Starmer sought a UK exemption and the original suspension order landed. A multilateral “trusted partner” framework could restore access where a one-country exemption failed — though it would also formalise an arrangement in which allied access is a privilege Washington grants, not a right.

Looking forward

The detail that should give UK firms pause is who decides. The EU is separately seeking access to Mythos, the code-flaw-finding model, to study its security implications — a reminder that “trusted partner” status would be defined in Washington and revocable there. First reported by the Financial Times, the scheme remains under negotiation; whether it produces durable access or another switch that can be flipped will shape how seriously Britain pursues genuinely sovereign alternatives.

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