AI Federalism: EU AI Plan

Europe aims to differentiate by focusing on “ethical AI” and its reputation for “safe and high-quality products”.

The EU has lagged the US and China in AI policy.

● In 2019 the EC doubled its AI investment under Horizon 2020 and now plans to invest €1B per year under the upcoming Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programme. The overall goal is to reach €20B per year over the next 10 years across the EU.

● Aspiration to create a ‘CERN for AI’ and build on its legacy of cross-border research collaboration. SPARC149 and ELLIS are two projects focused on robotics and core ML research.

● Following discussion of brain drain and the Chinese takeover of Kuka, the EC approved a proposal that will allow the EU for the first time to collectively address investments that represent potential risks to the bloc’s security including robotics, semiconductors and AI.