EU Leaders Urge Shift from AI Race to Value-Creating Applications
European officials and tech experts warned that the EU should stop trying to match US AI breakthroughs and instead focus on extracting value from AI applications.
In Brussels, senior EU officials and prominent technology figures presented a stark view of the continent's AI strategy, urging a departure from the race to match US and Chinese breakthroughs. Ursula von der Leyen and other key leaders suggested the EU should prioritize building its own AI models and harnessing the entire value chain rather than chasing headline-grabbing advances. Jarek Kutylowski, chief executive of DeepL's AI research lab, said that Europe must seize the economic potential embedded in AI systems or else cede most value creation to external actors.
He warned that the disparity between Europe and the leading AI powers is growing, leaving little chance for success if current trends continue. The speakers called for a pragmatic focus on application-driven value to close the widening gap.
Why it matters
The EU's AI direction will affect Europe's economic competitiveness and its ability to benefit from emerging technologies.
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