Translated by Irene Cecchi
In the battle for technological supremacy, the United States and China are pursuing opposite strategies. The US, with Trump, aims to deregulate in order to foster innovation, while China seeks to dominate the sector through internal development and increasingly pervasive surveillance. A third player, the European Union, is trying to stand out by focusing on security and ethical regulations. In fact, the Old Continent is the one that elaborated a major legislative initiative designed to ensure both safety and ethics: the AI Act. However, while the US and China speed up AI development with massive investments, Europe's approach seems to prioritize balancing innovation with regulation. Could this risk slowing down progress?
This guideline classifies AI systems into different risk levels:
- Unacceptable risk → a clear threat to safety, livelihoods, and fundamental rights; these are banned.
- High risk → could cause significant harm to health, safety, or fundamental rights; these are subject to strict obligations.
- Limited risk → AI systems requiring transparency obligations.
- Minimal or no risk → most of AI systems currently used in the EU fall into this category, facing no restrictions.
Many believe that Europe's regulatory framework could become a model for the world, similar to the GDPR. However, experts warn that excessive regulatory constraints could stifle innovation, making the European market less attractive to investors and developers. Similar concerns were raised by former ECB President Mario Draghi in his recent report.
According to OECD data, venture capital investments in Europe accounted for only 9% of the global total in 2020, compared to nearly 50% for the US and 20% for China. This issue was a key topic at the AI Summit, held in Paris on February 10th and 11th. On this occasion, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized his ambition to turn France into a technological innovation hub, seeking a stronger role in the geopolitical competition dominated by the US and China. A crucial initiative was also announced by the European Commission President, aiming to address Europe's lack of investment. The InvestAI plan aims to mobilize €200 billion for AI investments, including a €20 billion European fund for "AI gigafactories".
The future of AI will be shaped by those who can successfully balance regulation and innovation. This challenge is far from simple and it’s difficult to predict what future AI advancements might cause new imbalances. However, two players have a clear strategy: Trump’s US is betting on deregulation to drive innovation, while China is focusing on domestic control and surveillance to consolidate its dominance. The EU may need to rethink its strategy in light of recent developments. Could checkmate come from the Old Continent? If Europe can effectively merge innovation with regulation, it may take the lead in the global governance of AI.
Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2025.
UE e Intelligenza Artificiale: la terza via tra deregolamentazione e controllo