Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Modernization of the State called for the United States and China to be included in any effective international mechanism for overseeing artificial intelligence, confirming that Berlin will raise the issue at the Group of Seven level. The German position places the international governance of advanced models within a broader framework than the internal European debate, encompassing the two most influential powers in the global competition to develop artificial intelligence.
The ministry said in a statement that the German government is closely monitoring global developments in this field and takes warnings from industry leaders seriously. It added that models that may be able to bypass testing environments and independently access other systems represent “an entirely new threat scenario,” requiring new political steps.
Between Slowing Development and Strengthening European Capability
The ministry rejected the idea that halting artificial-intelligence development is a practical and viable option for Europe. Instead of a temporary halt, it stressed that strengthening European digital sovereignty requires continued development and innovation in this sector.
This position reflects a clear trade-off: Berlin acknowledges that the accelerating capabilities of models may create new security risks, but at the same time believes that slowing development in Europe alone could weaken its technological capacity. Therefore, the ministry does not propose addressing the issue through a unilateral European freeze; rather, it links it to international oversight involving the United States and China.
Background to the Dispute Within the Industry
The German statements came after a call by Dario Amodei, chief executive officer of Anthropic, in which he urged artificial-intelligence companies to reduce the speed of model development and involve independent auditors in development processes. The call received support from Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla.
By contrast, a number of political and business figures oppose the idea of slowing development. They believe that a halt or slowdown in Western countries could lead to greater market concentration, and they warn that giving China a strategic and technological advantage would be a possible consequence of any broad Western slowdown.
What Is Changing in Practice?
Through this position, Germany is not announcing a new oversight system or specific binding rules; rather, it is setting out its diplomatic and political direction: bringing the United States and China into the discussion and raising it within the Group of Seven. Its significance lies in the fact that the proposed oversight, according to the available statements, is not limited to evaluating models within isolated environments, but also prepares for scenarios in which systems can interact with other systems on their own.
The outstanding questions concern the limits of this oversight, the nature of independent auditors’ powers, and how Washington and Beijing can be involved in a joint mechanism despite the technological and political disputes between them. The German statements provide no details about a timetable or a specific regulatory framework, so for now the announcement remains more of a preliminary political position than a fully developed implementation policy.