European bourses tracked modestly lower midday Monday as traders weighed rising global crude prices, Middle East turmoil, and mounting concerns regarding the regulation of artificial intelligence models.

Undercutting AI-related shares, over the weekend, Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei posted on platform X that AI development should be slowed, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Fortune magazine his company will not go public in 2026, also citing safety concerns.

The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was off 0.2% mid-session.

Food stocks led gains on continental trading floors, while tech shares lagged.

Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were up 3.4% at $108.16 a barrel in midday trades.

Investors also eyed Wall Street futures flashing red, and lower closes overnight on Asian exchanges.

In economic news, European Central Bank Governing Council member Martins Kazaks said the central bank may need to gradually raise interest rates further to contain inflation, due to higher energy bills, Reuters reported.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was down 2.1%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index lost 0.9% in mid-session action.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index eased 0.1%, but the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index bucked trends and inclined 2.7%.

The REITE, a European REIT index, rose 0.1%.

On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was down 0.5%, and the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.6%, largely on resource shares. The CAC 40 in Paris was down 0.7%, and Spain's IBEX 35 declined 0.9%.

Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.54%.

The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was up 13.7% at 19.98, indicating average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a neutral signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.