Who controls our AI future? This week on the AI SIX podcast, I share my Digital Download interview on Dublin City FM’s Good Morning Dublin, where we discussed the sudden shutdown of Anthropic’s Fable 5 model, what it means for Europe’s digital sovereignty, and why this is a wake-up call for every business and government relying on US AI technology.
When AI Access Gets Switched Off Overnight
I was actually using Fable 5 late last week — doing business forecasting, strategy planning, things I had in the pipeline — and genuinely enjoying it. Then someone in a WhatsApp group I’m in with other AI builders asked, “Has anyone noticed Fable 5 has gone?” I checked, and sure enough, it had been disabled on my side too.
What happened? The US government, citing national security authorities, issued an export control directive mandating Anthropic to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for any foreign national, whether inside or outside the United States. Anthropic, as a US registered company, couldn’t easily switch it off just for non-US users, so they turned it off for everyone. Anthropic called it a misunderstanding — they didn’t fully agree there were security issues — but the damage was done.
Why This Should Matter to You
This isn’t just a story about one AI model going dark. It raises three really important questions that I’ve been having with clients over the past week:
- Dependency risk: What happens when we’ve built entire workflows and agents on a handful of US models and they’re suddenly taken away?
- Government intervention: Regulation is usually slower than innovation, but this happened very fast and out of the blue. What does that mean for businesses planning around AI?
- Sovereign AI: Should countries and businesses be building their own AI models? The counter-argument is cost — it’s an expensive thing to do.
Is There a European Alternative?
Yes, there is. There’s a French large language model called Mistral — its interface is called Le Chat — and it’s free to use right now. I know many clients and EU institutions are moving to it and encouraging their staff to use it. But changing behaviour is hard. ChatGPT was first out of the gates and now has a billion users. Claude positioned itself as the enterprise model. Copilot has Microsoft’s entire client base behind it. Getting people to switch is a real challenge.
The EU does have a new piece of legislation coming called the Cloud and Sovereignty Act, which is pushing Europe to use more AI models built within the EU — and not just AI, but systems like Teams, Zoom, email, and SharePoint, all of which are US-owned.
What Are the Lessons Here?
From my perspective, there are four key takeaways from this whole situation:
- Business is now directly influenced by geopolitical decisions — a ripple on the other side of the world reaches us here in Ireland fast.
- We need a serious conversation around sovereign AI at both national and EU level.
- Regulators need to move faster — AI is advancing at a pace that legislation simply isn’t keeping up with.
- We all need a seat at the table — this can’t be left to a handful of lawmakers or tech executives.
My Practical Advice for Right Now
Keep adopting AI and stay curious — the skills you’re building are transferable across models. But be mindful of what information you’re sharing with these tools. Data is power, and it’s going into servers and data centres on the other side of the world. Always be aware of what you put in and where it might end up.
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Key Statistics
– ChatGPT currently has a billion users worldwide.
– The US government issued an export control directive mandating Anthropic to suspend all access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for foreign nationals.
– Ireland takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in two weeks from the time of recording.
– The Irish government has a market consultation ongoing asking Irish companies what AI solutions they are building.
About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
