Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in her recent speech about the state of the European Union, referred to the efforts of this institution to regulate artificial intelligence and collaborate with international partners. She emphasized that Europe must be recognized as a leader in AI safety, but criticism has grown regarding the EU's actual ability to compete with American and Chinese technology giants.
Challenges Facing the European Union
The European Union is significantly lagging in the global AI competition. According to estimates, this continent accounts for less than 5% of global investment in this field, while 75 to 80% of these investments go to the United States and 10 to 14% to China. Major AI companies in Europe, such as Mistral AI, valued at $24 billion, are significantly smaller compared to American giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, which are valued at $852 billion and $965 billion, respectively.
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Reactions to von der Leyen's Promises
Micheal McNamara, an independent Irish representative from the Renew group, stated that von der Leyen's promises sound more like "hollow words" and added that the main AI developers are located outside of Europe and will not pay attention to her statements. He pointed to von der Leyen's inconsistent track record on AI safety, saying, "Given the contradictory positions she has quickly advanced, it is expected that AI developers will not heed her latest stance."
On the other hand, Brando Benifei, an Italian representative and co-chair of the European Parliament's AI working group, supported von der Leyen, stating that the European AI Act will help the continent lead in AI safety. He emphasized the importance of collaborating with allied countries like Canada and the UK, adding that this collaboration should be supported by independent European capacities.
Von der Leyen also announced in her speech future plans to hold talks with industry and government leaders in November to explore how AI can be utilized in key sectors such as health, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. She also promised to present the "Quality Jobs Act" by the end of 2026 to aid in skill development and improve job quality.
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