Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney highlighted concerns over the United States’ recent restrictions on advanced artificial intelligence models, cautioning against the risks of depending heavily on a narrow group of American technology providers. Speaking Sunday in Ireland ahead of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Carney referred to the US government’s directive that prompted AI firm Anthropic to take its latest models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline for foreign users.

Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI company, announced on Friday that it had complied with export controls issued under the Trump administration, aimed at limiting the use of cutting-edge AI tools by foreign nationals. The move represents the most significant step by the US to restrict access to advanced AI capabilities. While Anthropic widely released Fable 5 earlier this week, it has tightly restricted access to Mythos 5, citing concerns about the model’s ability to outperform human cybersecurity experts by identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities.

Carney warned that the current situation underscores the vulnerabilities linked to relying predominantly on select AI offerings from a limited number of US providers. “Nobody has done anything wrong in the situation. But we will have done something wrong if we just accept this, don’t take the lesson, don’t build out and diversify,” he said. He emphasized the necessity of expanding and diversifying AI development and access, underscoring that depending on a single source is unwise.

Ahead of the G7 discussions, Carney also noted that AI would be a significant topic on the agenda when leaders meet Monday night. He recounted a recent 45-minute conversation on AI with French President Emmanuel Macron, acknowledging the complexity of the issues and rejecting expectations for quick solutions at the summit.

The AI restrictions also tie into broader concerns about Canada’s economic relationship with the US. Carney pointed out that more than 70% of Canadian exports currently go to the US, and he has sought to double Canada’s non-US exports over the next decade to reduce overreliance on the American market. The ongoing trade tensions under the previous Trump administration have cast uncertainty over investment and trade policies.

Despite the free trade agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico nearing renewal, Carney indicated he had no scheduled bilateral meetings with former President Donald Trump during the G7 summit. Instead, discussions on the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will take place among key trade and treasury officials from the three countries during the event. Carney described these talks as the appropriate format for advancing the trade agenda at this stage.