The G7 summit in France wrapped up earlier today with world leaders closing formal talks on artificial intelligence and endorsing a tentative U.S.-Iran agreement, as the group of seven industrialized nations worked to project unity despite deep divisions on trade and geopolitical strategy.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US gathered in Évian-les-Bains from June 15-17, with the final day focused on AI safety and economic growth alongside invited partner nations. The summit brought together AI executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for a rare joint appearance to discuss responsible deployment of advanced AI systems.
According to Bloomberg, a draft G7 statement seen before the summit said leaders would “further discuss emerging opportunities and potential risks arising from AI, notably in the financial sector.” The discussions centered on fostering secure, trustworthy AI development while managing risks to financial stability and other sectors.
On the Iran agreement, G7 leaders issued a joint statement overnight Tuesday expressing support for the tentative framework deal between Washington and Tehran. The statement emphasized the right of transit passage without restrictions or tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “the bedrock of international trade.” According to AP News, leaders also pledged support for a French and British-led naval mission to the Persian Gulf to safeguard ships and remove mines from this crucial chokepoint in the global energy supply chain.
The G7 countries also formed a new Critical Minerals Resilience and Production Alliance to reduce economic dependencies on China, according to AP News. The joint statement said leaders have “grave concerns” about “practices and economic coercion, including arbitrary export restrictions” on critical minerals—a clear reference to China’s throttling of rare earth exports.
Beyond AI and Iran, the summit produced agreement on increased military support for Ukraine, including air defense technology and interceptors, according to AP News. The leaders pledged to “increase military support for Ukraine” after recent “progress on the battlefield” and planned to levy harsher sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the summit, called it “a moment of unity, of high-quality discussions and of real cooperation between the leaders,” according to AP News. A senior French diplomatic official described the gathering as “the best G7” in years, citing the quality of informal exchanges among leaders that helped secure joint endorsement of statements on key geopolitical issues.
Sources
- AP News — live updates on final day of G7 summit, AI discussions, Iran deal support, Ukraine military aid, critical minerals alliance, and Macron’s closing remarks
- Bloomberg.com — draft G7 statement on AI risks and opportunities in financial sector
