EU leaders urged to 'act now' to stay AI competitive
European Union leaders met in Dublin on Friday at the first ever summit on artificial intelligence, urging the bloc to act quickly to stay competitive.
The meeting took place at Dublin's Convention Center, the same venue used for the European Political Community summit this week.
It was convened at a critical moment as the EU seeks a unified policy for the rapidly evolving technology.
The gathering was attended by Arthur Mensch, CEO of the French AI company Mistral, and Geoffrey Hinton, the Nobel-prize winner and researcher widely known as the "godfather of AI".
Call for speed and financing
Mensch urged the leaders to "act now" to stay competitive with the United States and China in AI development.
"Europe has all the technology and the talent to lead the AI race," Mensch said during the event. "What it needs is speed, financing and a strong coordination between member states."
He pushed back on calls to slow down AI development, urging Europe to push ahead.
Europe's role and risks
European Council President Antonio Costa emphasized that AI is the most important technology of our time.
"Europe must make the most of its benefits, from higher productivity to better public services. We must also manage the risks and changes it will bring — and help set global standards for responsible governance and safe, human-centric AI."
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola expressed frustration with the notion that Europe had "somehow lost the AI race."
She noted that the EU has "world-class talent, technological expertise and industrial experience to lead in AI."
Metsola added, "What we need now is to ensure that our ideas have the financing they need to grow and succeed in Europe."
Next steps and concerns
The governments of Estonia and Finland wrote in a letter ahead of the summit that Europe must "establish EU-level arrangements for responding to serious AI incidents."
They called for "developing advanced AI and governing it responsibly."
Leaders face questions on how to unlock AI's potential, how to catch up with China and the United States, and how to protect against the risks it poses to individuals and businesses.
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