Democracies should share frontier AI models with allies

Key insights

Many proponents describe sharing as access for trusted allies and partners under standards, joint assurance, or security controls rather than as unrestricted release.
Reliable continuity of access is a recurring concern, with several quotes emphasizing guarantees, advance warning, parity, or domestic inference capacity instead of ad hoc permissions.
The same proposals are often justified on both security and economic grounds, linking cyber defense and alliance cohesion with innovation, trade, and standard-setting.
A prominent theme is reconciling collaboration with sovereignty by keeping local control over data, models, deployment, or nationally specific development paths.
Support comes from a mix of government officials, international alliances, researchers, and AI companies, suggesting broad institutional interest in allied sharing arrangements.

Arguments for

Defense and cyber resilience

Proponents argue that democratic governments, intelligence services, and critical infrastructure operators need access to frontier AI to protect critical systems, harden them against adversary penetration, and support defense missions. Some add that promising to use one country's AI in an ally's defense is a weaker substitute than giving that ally the capability directly.

The United States has a strong interest in the broad adoption of its frontier AI tools. From a cybersecurity standpoint, the United States should want its allies to harden their critical infrastructure against adversary penetration.

Matthew Ferren · Jun 22, 2026 · full quote
No country can be truly secure if it lacks control over its own critical infrastructure. Democratic nations should have access to such AI models so that they can protect their critical information infrastructure and effectively address growing cyber threats. Access to these impor…

Narendra Modi · Jun 17, 2026 · full quote
Second, it makes sense to use AI to empower democracies to resist autocracies. This is the reason Anthropic considers it important to provide AI to the intelligence and defense communities in the US and its democratic allies. Defending democracies that are under attack, such as U…

Dario Amodei · Jan 2026 · full quote
In particular, and as the last few weeks have shown, as AI models become more and more capable, we need a coherent system that will allow us to get the tools into the hands of government, critical infrastructure, allies, and trusted partners.

Chris Lehane · Jul 15, 2026 · full quote
As advanced AI models become more powerful and more critical to national security, they are being treated as guarded national assets, not to be shared even with trusted allies. [...] Australian entities, including our highly respected Australian Signals Directorate, managed to ne…

David Wroe · Jun 16, 2026 · full quote

Reliable access and parity

Another line of argument is that allies are left strategically vulnerable if access to advanced models can be cut off. Supporters therefore call for guaranteed continued access, clear restriction criteria, exemptions, advance warning, parity with domestic or commercial access, and local inference capacity for sensitive uses.

The United States has a clear interest in helping its partners and allies navigate this choice strategically, and there are several steps it should take. Most importantly, Washington should develop frameworks to assure more reliable access to the U.S. frontier that enable the saf…

Vivek Chilukuri · Oct 26, 2026 · full quote
Australia and the US’s Western allies face an incentive and opportunity structure that may promote, and enable, the less instead of the more destructive options. [...] A government that believes access to American frontier models will remain available has little reason to run the…

Alexander Yen · Oct 5, 2026 · full quote
Government should be pressing Washington for published criteria before access is restricted, advance warning and exemptions for allies, as we already handle security of supply in energy and defense. At home, it should require critical infrastructure operators to keep their AI run…

Alan Woodward · Aug 27, 2026 · full quote
Australia needs to move from accepting whatever access arrangements the market and the alliance deliver by default, to deliberate orientation toward securing two conditions for frontier AI access: unconditional capability parity with what the United States has access to domestica…

Hannah Merchant · Aug 20, 2026 · full quote
Europe, Canada or other countries can be put in an extremely vulnerable position if they are cut off from advanced AI models.

Zach Meyers · Jun 17, 2026 · full quote
For securing that access, there are not that many options. I think the best general version we’ve come up with is compute-for-access: you build out data centres to alleviate the inference crunch and meet the demand for inference that these leading labs have, and in return, you as…

Anton Leicht · Jul 14, 2026 · full quote

Trusted rules-based frameworks

Many quotes support sharing through formal arrangements rather than relying on market access alone, including government-to-government deals, international forums, common standards, shared evaluations, and joint assurance. In this framing, early or preferential access is tied to trusted-partner status and to rules meant to manage capabilities, risks, and security.

A U.S.-led international forum that establishes accepted standards, provides expert and impartial analysis of capabilities and risks, and makes the technology available to nations and companies that participate and follow the rules.

Sam Altman · Jul 1, 2026 · full quote
Our cooperation will proceed through three interlocking pillars: (1) Government-to-Government collaboration on co-developed models, secure data and compute pathways, and joint assurance; [...] By mutual agreement, we will extend the outputs of this Partnership to trusted allies a…

United Kingdom–Ukraine Joint Declaration on AI Partnership · Aug 24, 2026 · full quote
In February 2026, Canada and Germany launched the Sovereign Technology Alliance, an initiative that will deepen collaboration with trusted allies to use common AI models, share digital infrastructure, access capital, and participate in joint research. It will also ensure similar …

Government of Canada · Jun 8, 2026 · full quote
collaborate with the Federal Government to select trusted partners that will have early access to covered frontier models to promote secure innovation and strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.

The White House · Jun 2, 2026 · full quote
Second, the agreement should establish a framework for sharing frontier AI models among allies. The United States has a strategic interest in ensuring partners have access to secure systems.

Troy Stangarone · Oct 1, 2026 · full quote

Collaborative sovereignty

Another argument is that democracies can share frontier AI by co-developing models and infrastructure while each participant retains control over its own data, models, deployment, and national context. Advocates present this as a way to reflect local languages and institutions, spread benefits more equitably, and avoid dependence on any single company or country.

Project Tapestry is a global open consortium to build frontier-capability AI through distributed model development while allowing participating nations and institutions to retain control over their own data, models, and deployment.

AI Alliance · Jun 19, 2026 · full quote
India has long believed that science advances fastest when it is open and shared. Project Tapestry, which lets nations build frontier AI together while retaining sovereignty over their data and models, reflects the collaborative, self-reliant innovation India is advancing.

Ajay Kumar Sood · Jun 21, 2026 · full quote
AI is becoming essential infrastructure. No single company or country should determine who can build on it, adapt it, or benefit from it. Project Tapestry is a test of whether frontier AI can be built as open infrastructure: collaborative, capable, and sovereign by design.

Yann LeCun · Jun 21, 2026 · full quote
With the National Innovation Center and FPT Corporation engaged, Project Tapestry gives Vietnam a path to help build frontier AI that reflects its language, culture, industries, and institutions while retaining control over its own data, models, and deployment.

Christopher Nguyen · Jun 21, 2026 · full quote
As India builds frontier AI rooted in its own languages and knowledge, IIT Bombay and BharatGen supported by the India AI mission are proud to support and participate as a founding contributor in Project Tapestry, an open, global consortium for nations to advance frontier AI toge…

Shireesh Kedare · Jun 21, 2026 · full quote
guaranteed, cheap access to jointly-developed models would enable domestic firms to capture automation gains without dependency on foreign providers; structured licensing would stimulate local application ecosystems; and equitable benefit-sharing would ensure that economic growth…

A Blueprint for Multinational Advanced AI Development · Nov 24, 2025 · full quote

Diffusion and democratic leadership

Some proponents emphasize that broader allied adoption can extend the benefits of openness in science, innovation, and economic growth while deepening ties among democracies. They also argue that exporting trusted AI can help set standards, diversify the model ecosystem, and anchor future global innovation in technologies shaped by democratic principles.

We expect this Vision to help extend the existing benefits of AI openness in science, innovation, and economic growth, while ensuring trust in technologies and access to a greater diversity of models.

G7 Digital and Technology Ministers · Jun 1, 2026 · full quote
I think the consensus was we need something. [...] Democracies should focus their efforts on making sure the G7 doesn’t just produce the most capable AI, but also the second most capable AI.

Aidan Gomez · Jun 17, 2026 · full quote
Our hope is that shared efforts to to advance the diffusion of the full AI stack across partner countries will become an occasion for bilateral diplomacy, international development, and global economic dynamism.

Katie Strickland · Jul 7, 2026 · full quote
“Through the ExportAI Initiative, EXIM is leveraging the full strength of its financing toolkit to help American companies export trusted AI technologies worldwide, strengthen our industrial base here at home, and ensure the next generation of global innovation is built on Americ…

John Jovanovic · May 21, 2026 · full quote
America’s continued global leadership in AI depends on our ability to export our AI to allies around the world.

William Kimmitt · Mar 16, 2026 · full quote
Champion the export of American AI. As public and commercial sectors around the world increasingly adopt AI, the Trump administration should continue its efforts to promote the global adoption of trusted AI hardware and models developed and shaped by democratic principles.

Anthropic · May 14, 2026 · full quote

Within these quotes, the live question is not whether democracies and allies should share frontier AI, but what form that sharing should take. The main points of emphasis are trusted-partner frameworks, dependable continuity of access, and mechanisms that let countries gain security and economic benefits without giving up control over their own data, models, or infrastructure. Proposals range from early-access and export programs to joint development consortia and interoperable public-sector systems.

Cast Your Vote:

Results (45 votes):

Total (45 votes)

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For (44)

Vivek Chilukuri
Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, researching AI, emerging technology, and great-power competition.

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votes For and says:

The United States has a clear interest in helping its partners and allies navigate this choice strategically, and there are several steps it should take. Most importantly, Washington should develop frameworks to assure more reliable access to the U.S...
more AI Verified source (Oct 26, 2026)

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Ted O'Brien
Australian Member of Parliament for Fairfax and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

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votes For and says:

Such a deal could start with a government-to-government framework that affords Australia early and preferential access to AI frontier models and a guarantee of continued access.
AI Verified source (Oct 7, 2026)

added 23d ago

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Alexander Yen
Oxford DPhil candidate in International Relations and founding convenor of the Oxford China Research Group, researching Chinese foreign policy, strategic competition, and AI geopolitics.

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votes For and says:

Australia and the US’s Western allies face an incentive and opportunity structure that may promote, and enable, the less instead of the more destructive options. [...] A government that believes access to American frontier models will remain availabl...
more AI Verified source (Oct 5, 2026)

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Troy Stangarone
Nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, writing on Korean Peninsula and Indo-Pacific economic and foreign policy.

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votes For and says:

Second, the agreement should establish a framework for sharing frontier AI models among allies. The United States has a strategic interest in ensuring partners have access to secure systems.
AI Verified source (Oct 1, 2026)

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Alan Woodward
Researcher and co-author of a 2026 paper on frontier-AI export controls and national AI sovereignty.

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votes For and says:

Government should be pressing Washington for published criteria before access is restricted, advance warning and exemptions for allies, as we already handle security of supply in energy and defense. At home, it should require critical infrastructure ...
more AI Verified source (Aug 27, 2026)

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United Kingdom–Ukraine Joint Declaration on AI Partnership
Official joint declaration by the United Kingdom and Ukraine on bilateral cooperation to develop, assure, and extend AI-enabled capabilities to trusted allies and partners.

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votes For and says:

Our cooperation will proceed through three interlocking pillars: (1) Government-to-Government collaboration on co-developed models, secure data and compute pathways, and joint assurance; [...] By mutual agreement, we will extend the outputs of this P...
more AI Verified source (Aug 24, 2026)

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Hannah Merchant
Seasonal Fellow at the Centre for the Governance of AI, writing on Australian frontier-AI access.

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votes For and says:

Australia needs to move from accepting whatever access arrangements the market and the alliance deliver by default, to deliberate orientation toward securing two conditions for frontier AI access: unconditional capability parity with what the United ...
more AI Verified source (Aug 20, 2026)

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Mark Zuckerberg
Meta CEO; Facebook co-founder

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One of the ways to achieve both individual empowerment and checks and balances is to make sure you put the technology in everybody's hands.
AI Verified source (Aug 10, 2026)

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Sean Cairncross
U.S. National Cyber Director

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We are extremely interested in looking at ways to build U.S. open source, make it competitive, make it the preferential adoption by planet Earth,
AI Verified source (Aug 5, 2026)

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Chris Lehane
OpenAI chief global affairs officer

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In particular, and as the last few weeks have shown, as AI models become more and more capable, we need a coherent system that will allow us to get the tools into the hands of government, critical infrastructure, allies, and trusted partners.
AI Verified source (Jul 15, 2026)

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Anton Leicht
Visiting scholar at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; researcher on the political economy of AI

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votes For and says:

For securing that access, there are not that many options. I think the best general version we’ve come up with is compute-for-access: you build out data centres to alleviate the inference crunch and meet the demand for inference that these leading la...
more AI Verified source (Jul 14, 2026)

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NATO
International military alliance

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We are developing an interoperable transatlantic warfighting cloud and adopting powerful AI models.
AI Verified source (Jul 8, 2026)

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Katie Strickland
U.S. senior official speaking at the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July 2026.

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votes For and says:

Our hope is that shared efforts to to advance the diffusion of the full AI stack across partner countries will become an occasion for bilateral diplomacy, international development, and global economic dynamism.
AI Verified source (Jul 7, 2026)

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Olivia Shen
Director of Strategic Technologies at the United States Studies Centre; former Australian Department of Home Affairs AI-strategy lead.

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We should argue for trusted US allies and partners to have priority access to the most powerful models.
AI Verified source (Jul 2, 2026)

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Omran Sharaf
United Arab Emirates Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology.

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It's very important that trusted partners and strategic partners are included in the process.
AI Verified source (Jul 2, 2026)

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Sam Altman
CEO at OpenAI

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A U.S.-led international forum that establishes accepted standards, provides expert and impartial analysis of capabilities and risks, and makes the technology available to nations and companies that participate and follow the rules.
AI Verified source (Jul 1, 2026)

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Matthew Ferren
Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow in National Security and former U.S. Department of Defense cyber-policy official.

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votes For and says:

The United States has a strong interest in the broad adoption of its frontier AI tools. From a cybersecurity standpoint, the United States should want its allies to harden their critical infrastructure against adversary penetration.
AI Verified source (Jun 22, 2026)

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Anthony Annunziata
Chairman of the AI Alliance and Director of AI Open Innovation at IBM.

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votes For and says:

Project Tapestry aims to build the most capable frontier AI possible in a way that ensures the value and control of that AI is retained by those developing and deploying it - whether they are in industry, government, a non-profit or an individual. Th...
more AI Verified source (Jun 21, 2026)

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Christopher Nguyen
Chief Architect of Project Tapestry and CEO of Aitomatic; AI systems leader.

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votes For and says:

With the National Innovation Center and FPT Corporation engaged, Project Tapestry gives Vietnam a path to help build frontier AI that reflects its language, culture, industries, and institutions while retaining control over its own data, models, and ...
more AI Verified source (Jun 21, 2026)

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Shireesh Kedare
Director of IIT Bombay and Chairman of BharatGen; AI research and innovation leader.

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votes For and says:

As India builds frontier AI rooted in its own languages and knowledge, IIT Bombay and BharatGen supported by the India AI mission are proud to support and participate as a founding contributor in Project Tapestry, an open, global consortium for natio...
more AI Verified source (Jun 21, 2026)

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Ajay Kumar Sood
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India; physicist and science-policy official.

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votes For and says:

India has long believed that science advances fastest when it is open and shared. Project Tapestry, which lets nations build frontier AI together while retaining sovereignty over their data and models, reflects the collaborative, self-reliant innovat...
more AI Verified source (Jun 21, 2026)

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Yann LeCun
Computer scientist, AI researcher

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votes For and says:

AI is becoming essential infrastructure. No single company or country should determine who can build on it, adapt it, or benefit from it. Project Tapestry is a test of whether frontier AI can be built as open infrastructure: collaborative, capable, a...
more AI Verified source (Jun 21, 2026)

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AI Alliance
Global coalition advancing open, safe, and responsible artificial intelligence

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votes For and says:

Project Tapestry is a global open consortium to build frontier-capability AI through distributed model development while allowing participating nations and institutions to retain control over their own data, models, and deployment.
AI Verified source (Jun 19, 2026)

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Emmanuel Macron
President of France

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So let us move forward together. Our relevant agencies must first cooperate so that, in the areas of security and cybersecurity, we have a smooth government-to-government relationship.
AI Verified source (Jun 17, 2026) 1 of 2

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Zach Meyers
Director of research at CERRE

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Europe, Canada or other countries can be put in an extremely vulnerable position if they are cut off from advanced AI models.
AI Verified source (Jun 17, 2026)

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Aidan Gomez
Co-founder and CEO of Cohere; co-author of "Attention Is All You Need" Transformer paper

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votes For and says:

I think the consensus was we need something. [...] Democracies should focus their efforts on making sure the G7 doesn’t just produce the most capable AI, but also the second most capable AI.
AI Verified source (Jun 17, 2026)

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Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India

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No country can be truly secure if it lacks control over its own critical infrastructure. Democratic nations should have access to such AI models so that they can protect their critical information infrastructure and effectively address growing cyber ...
more AI Verified source (Jun 17, 2026)

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David Wroe
Resident senior fellow and head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's AI and Security program.

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votes For and says:

As advanced AI models become more powerful and more critical to national security, they are being treated as guarded national assets, not to be shared even with trusted allies. [...] Australian entities, including our highly respected Australian Sign...
more AI Verified source (Jun 16, 2026)

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UK Ministry of Defence
UK government defence department

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Work with the US Government to help UK access Frontier US models.
AI Verified source (Jun 10, 2026)

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Government of Canada
Federal government of Canada

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In February 2026, Canada and Germany launched the Sovereign Technology Alliance, an initiative that will deepen collaboration with trusted allies to use common AI models, share digital infrastructure, access capital, and participate in joint research...
more AI Verified source (Jun 8, 2026)

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