European experts call for a strategy for AI competition and independence

A group of prominent European economists, politicians and AI experts have presented a strategy for how Europe could prevail in international AI competition. The EU is currently in danger of becoming “irrevocably dependent on a handful of foreign governments and individuals,” the group of experts warned on Monday. “Decisive action must therefore be taken” this year.

“We must not allow Europe to become a playing field for foreign powers,” explained co-author Margrethe Vestager, former EU competition commissioner. “Our citizens are already feeling the economic and social consequences of decisions made elsewhere.” Artificial intelligence will accelerate this development “and change our personal lives, our relationships, our learning and our work at an unprecedented pace.” But governments across the EU are not taking AI seriously enough or are concentrating on other priorities.

The French economist and Nobel Prize winner Philippe Aghion also warned that it is “essential” that the entire Union “increases its efforts tenfold.” There is no question “that AI will determine the course of all of our futures” – whether in the public sector or in the companies on which our employment depends.

Additional energy required

In its strategy, the expert group lists more than 40 recommendations that can be taken up by the EU member states and the European Commission "so that Europe and its citizens can compete successfully in a world of transformative AI."

Co-author Monika Schnitzer, chairwoman of the Council of Economists, explained that Europe will need 45 gigawatts of additional energy for data centers by 2030 "if it does not want to be dependent on foreign powers for this critical infrastructure." This requires investments in the order of 1.3 trillion euros, "and European companies alone will not be able to manage this." The EU must therefore do more for investments from abroad.

The experts' recommendations include an alliance of member states to create secure supply chains, bring "leading-edge AI expertise and technology" into European institutions, facilitate the construction of AI data centers - while at the same time "hardening" its critical infrastructure against AI threats and making Europe the global leader in testing and security technology.

Over the weekend, warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence for humanity became louder. The head of the AI ​​company Anthropic, Dario Amodei, called for a reduction in the development of AI and received support from the heads of the rival companies OpenAI and xAI, Sam Altman and Elon Musk. A spokesman for Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) told the AFP news agency that the ministry sees stopping AI development in Europe as "critical and not a viable option."