The annual TechBBQ conference in Copenhagen turned the spotlight on AI sovereignty, with investors and founders debating who should control the technology driving the sector. The conversation gained urgency after Anthropic restricted access to its Mythos and Fable models outside Europe earlier this year, prompting concerns about reliance on U.S. and Chinese infrastructure. While some attendees saw the move as a potential future headache, others described it as a disruption to ongoing projects.
The event’s theme, “Emerging from Agency,” framed discussions less around AI’s capabilities and more about human oversight. Panels and talks shifted focus to questions of control, privacy, and the trade-offs between innovation and autonomy. Angel investor Ellen de Brever highlighted the shift from technical discussions to ethical and regulatory ones, noting that the debates centered on what humans are willing to relinquish.
Signal President Meredith Whittaker criticized the integration of AI assistants into operating systems, calling it a “data collection apparatus.” Meanwhile, Emad Mostaque of Stability AI warned that concentration of AI power could reshape national control. The event also featured lighter networking events, but the core conversations remained centered on sovereignty and agency in the AI era.
