Sovereign by necessity? Frontier AI export controls, cyber security, and the limits of national AI capability

A small number of firms based in two states produce the most capable frontier AI models. The governments of those states have shown both the legal power and the political will to decide which other countries may use these systems. In June 2026 the United States required a leading developer to obtain licences before releasing its most advanced models to any foreign person, including foreign nationals resident in the United States. The affected models were withdrawn worldwide at short notice, part

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ethics.ai (13 August 2026), “Sovereign by necessity? Frontier AI export controls, cyber security, and the limits of national AI capability,” evidence record 19172, https://ethics.ai/record/19172 (originally published by arXiv).

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