Manual Override: EU Commission Enters Direct Talks with OpenAI and Anthropic

The sluggish European bureaucracy is acknowledging the limitations of its methods. On May 11, 2026, it was revealed that the EU Commission initiated direct talks with the leadership of OpenAI and Anthropic regarding access to their latest AI models.

This move logically stems from last week’s events when the EU had to urgently soften the AI Act regulations under pressure from businesses fearing technological lag. Realizing that universal laws become obsolete faster than new LLMs are released, Brussels is shifting to a "manual override" tactic. Regulators are trying to negotiate special audit and compliance conditions directly with the monopolists, bypassing lengthy parliamentary procedures. Europe is desperately seeking a balance between protecting its digital sovereignty and the need to use American technologies to sustain its macroeconomics.

Source: Reuters