EU's AI Strategy Risks Overlooking Values and Member State Divides
Three major EU reports on AI competitiveness rely too heavily on technology-fix solutions while downplaying tensions with European values and ignoring how policies will affect smaller member states. The analysis warns policymakers that treating the EU as one entity could deepen internal divisions as the bloc races to compete with the US and China.
Originaltitel: Competitiveness and artificial intelligence in the EU’s future strategy
<p>In this chapter, we focus on the latest EU high-level reports that aim to address the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in promoting European competitiveness and upholding European values. Published before the current European Commission’s appointment, the reports offer substantial guidelines for the upcoming EU policies. We concentrate on the Draghi report and discuss the Letta and Niinistö reports, all of which develop the political plans of the President of the European Commission presented in July 2024. The chapter provides a critical assessessment of their assumptions and solutions, and we develop three main arguments. One, the reports endorse techno-solutionism, portraying AI as the latest driver for growth and competitiveness; however, this clashes with the EU’s aim to strengthen European values. Two, they focus on the EU, the US, and China, ignoring the broader global context. Three, they portray the EU as a single entity, disregarding the internal dynamics and what the proposed strategies will mean for smaller member states.</p>