Europe Unveils Two Plans to Advance Artificial Intelligence

In a bid to strengthen its position in the global race for artificial intelligence and keep pace with U.S. and Chinese dominance, the European Union has announced two new strategic plans aimed at accelerating the adoption of AI technologies across the continent’s industrial and scientific sectors.

During a press conference at the European Parliament, Hina Värkkönen, EU Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, stated that “the percentage of European companies that adopted AI technologies did not exceed 13% last year,” highlighting significant disparities between member states, despite the enormous potential of this technology to boost productivity and economic growth.

The European Commission aims to raise this figure to 75% by 2030 through a series of supportive initiatives, including:

promoting the creation of smart factories powered by AI,

expanding advanced data centers within Europe,

and the upcoming enforcement of the European Artificial Intelligence Act, set to take effect next year, to regulate the use of AI and ensure its safety.

The Commission also plans to intensify its efforts in key sectors such as healthcare, energy, defense, robotics, and the automotive industry, making AI a cornerstone of development in these fields.

To achieve these ambitions, the EU has allocated a budget of around €1 billion, which will be partially funded through its flagship “Horizon Europe” program dedicated to research and innovation.