European Union tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the bloc’s AI rules are strong enough to address risks from rogue AI agents, according to a Reuters interview on Friday. According to Cointelegraph, Virkkunen said Europe is “well equipped” to deal with safety and security concerns around highly capable models, as global attention grows after incidents involving OpenAI and Anthropic and amid fears that AI agents could move beyond human control.

Virkkunen defended the EU’s AI Act against criticism that it is outdated, saying the law covers the full life cycle of AI models and remains one of the world’s strictest regulatory frameworks. According to Cointelegraph, the AI Act uses a risk-based approach and was adopted two years ago. She also said regulators are helping companies assess their models and are drawing on recommendations from 60 AI experts. The European Commission requested information in late August from more than 30 unidentified AI companies about their safety and security measures, and Virkkunen said she is now reviewing the responses. The comments come as debate intensifies over the pace of AI development, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently warning that unchecked progress could outstrip humanity’s ability to understand and control these systems.