European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has backed calls for a slowdown in the development of advanced artificial intelligence, saying she will invite leading frontier AI companies to discuss ways to reduce emerging risks.
Speaking during her annual address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen said increasingly capable AI systems could create serious security threats, including sophisticated cyberattacks and the possibility of advanced models being used by hostile actors.
Her comments followed calls from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for AI companies to slow the pace of developing increasingly powerful models. The proposal has received support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI founder Elon Musk.
Von der Leyen also cited warnings from AI developers and recent incidents involving rogue AI agents as reasons for greater caution.
“As the frontier models become more capable, these risks have come more sharply into focus,” she told lawmakers, adding that Europe should help coordinate international efforts to manage the technology’s risks.
She said the European Union would work with partners including Canada and the United Kingdom on measures such as AI model evaluation, verification and security.
“I will invite the main frontier labs for a discussion on how we can support ongoing industry efforts to pace the frontier,” von der Leyen said.
Her position contrasts with that of US President Donald Trump, who has dismissed growing concerns over AI safety.
Von der Leyen also proposed tighter restrictions on children’s access to social media, including a ban for those under 13 and restrictions on personal accounts for people under 15. She said technology companies should demonstrate that their platforms are safe for children, with further details expected on Thursday.
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