Europe has no intention of playing catch-up in the global AI race, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared at the AI Action Summit in Paris.
While the US and China are often seen as frontrunners, von der Leyen emphasised that the AI race “is far from over” and that Europe has distinct strengths to carve a leading role for itself.
“This is the third summit on AI safety in just over one year,” von der Leyen remarked. “In the same period, three new generations of ever more powerful AI models have been released. Some expect models that will approach human reasoning within a year’s time.”
The European Commission President set the tone of the event by contrasting the groundwork laid in previous summits with the urgency of this one.
“Past summits focused on laying the groundwork for AI safety. Together, we built a shared consensus that AI will be safe, that it will promote our values and benefit humanity. But this Summit is focused on action. And that is exactly what we need right now.”
As the world witnesses AI’s disruptive power, von der Leyen urged Europe to “formulate a vision of where we want AI to take us, as society and as humanity.” Growing adoption, “in the key sectors of our economy, and for the key challenges of our times,” provides a golden opportunity for the continent to lead, she argued.
The case for a European approach to the AI race
Von der Leyen rejected notions that Europe has fallen behind its global competitors.
“Too often, I hear that Europe is late to the race – while the US and China have already got ahead. I disagree,” she stated. “The frontier is constantly moving. And global leadership is still up for grabs.”
Instead of replicating what other regions are doing, she called for doubling down on Europe’s unique strengths to define the continent’s distinct approach to AI.
“Too often, I have heard that we should replicate what others are doing and run after their strengths,” she said. “I think that instead, we should invest in what we can do best and build on our strengths here in Europe, which are our science and technology mastery that we have given to the world.”
Von der Leyen defined three pillars of the so-called “European brand of AI” that sets it apart: 1) focusing on high-complexity, industry-specific applications, 2) taking a cooperative, collaborative approach to innovation, and 3) embracing open-source principles.
“This summit shows there is a distinct European brand of AI,” she asserted. “It is already driving innovation and adoption. And it is picking up speed.”
Accelerating innovation: AI factories and gigafactories
To maintain its competitive edge, Europe must supercharge its AI innovation, von der Leyen stressed.
A key component of this strategy lies in its computational infrastructure. Europe already boasts some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, which are now being leveraged through the creation of “AI factories.”
“In just a few months, we have set up a record of 12 AI factories,” von der Leyen revealed. “And we are investing €10 billion in them. This is not a promise—it is happening right now, and it is the largest public investment for AI in the world, which will unlock over ten times more private investment.”
Beyond these initial steps, von der Leyen unveiled an even more ambitious initiative. AI gigafactories, built on the scale of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, will provide the infrastructure needed for training AI systems at unprecedented scales. They aim to foster collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.
“We provide the infrastructure for large computational power,” von der Leyen explained. “Talents of the world are welcome. Industries will be able to collaborate and federate their data.”
The cooperative ethos underpinning AI gigafactories is part of a broader European push to balance competition with collaboration.
“AI needs competition but also collaboration,” she emphasised, highlighting that the initiative will serve as a “safe space” for these cooperative efforts.
Building trust with the AI Act
Crucially, von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s commitment to making AI safe and trustworthy. She pointed to the EU AI Act as the cornerstone of this strategy, framing it as a harmonised framework to replace fragmented national regulations across member states.
“The AI Act [will] provide one single set of safety rules across the European Union – 450 million people – instead of 27 different national regulations,” she said, before acknowledging businesses’ concerns about regulatory complexities.
“At the same time, I know, we have to make it easier, we have to cut red tape. And we will.”
€200 billion to remain in the AI race
Financing such ambitious plans naturally requires significant resources. Von der Leyen praised the recently launched EU AI Champions Initiative, which has already pledged €150 billion from providers, investors, and industry.
During her speech at the summit, von der Leyen announced the Commission’s complementary InvestAI initiative that will bring in an additional €50 billion. Altogether, the result is mobilising a massive €200 billion in public-private AI investments.
“We will have a focus on industrial and mission-critical applications,” she said. “It will be the largest public-private partnership in the world for the development of trustworthy AI.”
Ethical AI is a global responsibility
Von der Leyen closed her address by framing Europe’s AI ambitions within a broader, humanitarian perspective, arguing that ethical AI is a global responsibility.
“Cooperative AI can be attractive well beyond Europe, including for our partners in the Global South,” she proclaimed, extending a message of inclusivity.
Von der Leyen expressed full support for the AI Foundation launched at the summit, highlighting its mission to ensure widespread access to AI’s benefits.
“AI can be a gift to humanity. But we must make sure that benefits are widespread and accessible to all,” she remarked.
“We want AI to be a force for good. We want an AI where everyone collaborates and everyone benefits. That is our path – our European way.”
See also: AI Action Summit: Leaders call for unity and equitable development
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