EVIAN, France: The Group of Seven wrapped up three days of talks in the French Alps on Wednesday with discussions on the contentious future of artificial intelligence.
Executives of leading AI companies, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, attended discussions with US President Donald Trump and other leaders of industrial nations in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains.
French President Emmanuel Macron and the G7 leaders spent the bulk of the meetings discussing the war between Russia and Ukraine and a tentative deal to end the Iran war.
Trump did not reveal details of the agreement expected to be signed ceremonially by the United States and Iran on Friday in Switzerland, saying “nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong.”
Macron says he has always trusted Trump
Macron said he has “always trusted President Trump” because they both have “always spoken frankly.”
That applies on US tariffs issues, Macron said, after Trump threatened 100 percent tariff on French wines unless a European digital tax is dropped. Macron is still seeking a compromise that would avoid US tariffs from taking effect.
“Partners should never impose tariffs on one another or create instability,” Macron said.
Macron says US limit on cutting-edge Anthropic AI is a ‘bad thing’
The French leader is taking aim at a Trump administration directive preventing the use of Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence models by foreign nationals.
He said it is “a good thing” that US officials recognize that cutting-edge AI models could be dangerous. “What do they fear? That these models could be used by others to attack them or attack us,” he said.
But the “very strong decision” from the Trump administration is also “a bad thing,” he said. “The reaction is in some regards strictly nationalist.”
Anthropic said it has taken its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive. The AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue.
Meanwhile, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The US and EU need to be strong partners in AI. It is in our mutual interest that our citizens and companies can safely use the best AI models."
Macron describes ‘an Evian moment’ on Ukraine
Macron said the summit, attended by Zelensky, helped convince Trump that Russia currently has no serious intention of negotiating peace.
It’s too early to say whether there would be a clear “before” and “after” the Evian summit, Macron said — future developments will determine its impact.
“But there was an Evian moment, certainly on Ukraine,” he said.
Macron warns of the risks of artificial intelligence
G7 leaders discussed the revolutionary technology on Wednesday, the summit’s last day. The French leader, the summit host, called for regulation.
“No one — neither political leaders nor business leaders — can any longer ignore the impact of AI on our democracies, on our societies. That is why the possibility and the necessity of regulation have now become imperative,” he said.
Italy’s leader says the US-Iran deal created a positive atmosphere at the summit
Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni said the existence of a deal gave leaders an opportunity to show unity among Western allies on major global crises.
“The US-Iran agreement … clearly had a positive influence” on the summit’s climate, and all the leaders congratulated Trump, she said.
Talking to reporters at the end of the meetings, she said discussions were dominated by the war in Ukraine and developments in the Middle East and Gulf, adding that G7 leaders agreed on the need to sustain support for Kyiv and “maintain high pressure on Moscow.”
Macron says China is key source of global economic imbalances
Macron cited what he described as China’s industrial overcapacity, excessive subsidies and weak domestic consumption.
The French president said Europe needs to invest more and modernize its economies, while the United States must address its fiscal and trade deficits.
Macron hails G7 summit as a success
At his news conference closing out the 3-day summit that he hosted, the French president is detailing the progress he says was made.
“It was a moment of unity, of high-quality discussions and of real cooperation between the leaders,” Macron said.
G7 leaders add their voices to global push for online child safety
Their joint statement says they are committed to providing a “safe digital space” for minors, and urges governments, tech companies and public authorities to prioritize protecting their physical and mental health, privacy and online safety.
It calls for tech companies to develop “age assurance” systems to protect kids from inappropriate online experiences and make AI chatbots safer for them to use, among other things.
It also says parents should be empowered to guide their children’s online experiences, including through the use of parental control tools.
