Von der Leyen backs frontier AI pacing and announces plans for lab talks
The European Commission president says she will invite frontier labs to discuss support for pacing, alongside cooperation on model evaluation and AI security.
In her September 16 State of the European Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backs calls to slow development of increasingly capable, self-improving AI. She says she will invite the main frontier labs to discuss how governments can support efforts to pace development. Reuters
Von der Leyen points to warnings from developers and recent incidents involving rogue agents. She says Europe will work with partners including Canada and the United Kingdom on model evaluation, verification and AI security. Reuters
The speech announces an intention to convene talks. It does not establish that a meeting has occurred, that labs have agreed to a common pace, or that a binding slowdown has been adopted. Reuters
Sources & attribution
- Firsthand account 16 Sept 2026EU’s von der Leyen backs AI slowdown, to invite frontier labs for talks
Reuters.