EU chief warns Europe falling behind at AI 'turning point'

DUBLIN: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned the bloc 'must get it right' on the generational 'turning point' of AI, as European leaders vowed to catch up in the race with China and the United States — and tame the technology's risks. 'Every generation faces a technological turning point that shapes the decades ahead. For ours, it is artificial intelligence, and Europe must get it right,' von der Leyen told a press conference in Dublin where the bloc held its first summit-level talks on AI. 'We need to maximise the opportunities offered by AI, and we need to control all the risks of AI,' European Council head Antonio Costa said.
French AI darling Mistral's chief executive Arthur Mensch and Nobel-prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as one of the 'godfathers' of the technology joined the leaders' discussions on AI opportunities and dangers. 'Europe has all the technology and the talent to lead the AI race,' Mensch said.
EU chief von der Leyen said Europe's push for tech sovereignty would need 'massive investment' of at least 500 billion euros, and vowed to present an 'ambitious' proposal the next time leaders meet later this month. She also said an expert she tasked with driving AI adoption across industry would deliver the first recommendations within two weeks. — AFP