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EU pushes new AI strategy to reduce tech reliance on US and China
The EU must promote homegrown artificial intelligence platforms and decrease its reliance on foreign providers, Brussels has said, as it prepares to set out a new plan to compete against the US and China in the global race for the revolutionary technology. According to a draft proposal seen by the Financial Times, the European Commission's new "Apply AI strategy" will promote European-made AI tools to provide security and resilience while boosting the bloc's industrial competitiveness. The strategy highlights the need to improve AI usage in sectors including healthcare, defence and manufacturing. The Commission aims to "strengthen EU AI sovereignty" by accelerating the development and use of homemade artificial intelligence technologies, including policies to "accelerate the adoption of European scalable and replicable generative AI solutions in public administrations", the draft says. The strategy, which could change before it is made public, is set to be presented by the EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen on Tuesday. It warns of "external dependencies of the AI stack" -- the infrastructure and software needed to build, train and manage AI applications -- which it says "can be weaponised" by both "state and non-state actors", posing a risk to supply chains. Such concerns have risen since Donald Trump's return to the US presidency, which has sparked widespread concerns about the bloc's reliance on American tech and calls for digital independence in Europe. Meanwhile, China is challenging the US as a global leader in AI development, stoking fears that Europe may have little influence over future use of the technology. In recent years, Europe has become home to a number of promising AI companies, from French model maker Mistral to German defence tech group Helsing. But the EU still relies on the US and Asia for much of the software, hardware and critical minerals needed to develop AI. According to the draft, public administrations have a central role to play to "help AI start-ups grow through increased demand for European-made open source AI solutions". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at an event on Friday that the bloc wants to "speed up AI adoption across the board" via the Apply AI strategy in order to ensure that Europe doesn't miss out on the new technology. Brussels wants to position AI not merely as a productivity tool, but as a "strategic asset" that must be tightly integrated into the EU's institutional, industrial and security systems. To implement the actions in the strategy, such as supporting AI adoption in manufacturing and the health sector, the commission is mobilising β¬1bn from existing financing programmes. The bloc also wants to prioritise implementation of European AI-enabled tools in defence, as European capitals rapidly increase their defence spending in response to the threat from Russia and fears of US disengagement from European security under Trump. Brussels plans to "accelerate the development and deployment of European AI-enabled" command and control (C2) capacities. C2 systems, which are used to instruct troops and manage battlefield operations, are one of the so-called critical enablers that European militaries currently rely heavily on the US to provide through Nato. The Commission also wants to "support the development of sovereign frontier models" for space defence technology.
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EU to unveil new AI strategy to reduce dependence on US and China: FT - The Economic Times
The EU plans to launch a fresh strategy to boost locally developed AI platforms, aiming to compete with tech leaders like the US and China. Called the "Apply AI strategy", the proposal encourages the use of European AI tools across key areas such as healthcare, defence, and manufacturing.The European Union is set to unveil a new plan to promote homegrown artificial intelligence platforms and compete against the U.S. and China, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The European Commission's new "Apply AI strategy" will promote European-made AI tools to improve AI usage in sectors including healthcare, defence and manufacturing, the report added, citing a draft proposal.
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The European Union is set to launch a new 'Apply AI strategy' aimed at promoting homegrown artificial intelligence platforms and reducing reliance on foreign providers. This move is part of the EU's efforts to compete with the US and China in the global AI race.
The European Union is set to unveil a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) strategy aimed at reducing its technological dependence on the United States and China. The European Commission's new 'Apply AI strategy' seeks to promote homegrown AI platforms and strengthen the bloc's industrial competitiveness in the rapidly evolving AI landscape
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.Source: Economic Times
The strategy, to be presented by EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen, emphasizes the need to improve AI usage in critical sectors such as healthcare, defence, and manufacturing. It aims to 'strengthen EU AI sovereignty' by accelerating the development and adoption of European-made AI technologies
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.Source: Financial Times News
A central aspect of the plan is to promote the use of European scalable and replicable generative AI solutions in public administrations. This move is designed to boost the growth of AI startups through increased demand for European-made open-source AI solutions
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.The strategy highlights concerns about the EU's reliance on foreign providers for the 'AI stack' β the infrastructure and software needed to build, train, and manage AI applications. These dependencies, according to the draft, can be 'weaponised' by both state and non-state actors, posing potential risks to supply chains
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.To implement the actions outlined in the strategy, the European Commission is mobilizing β¬1 billion from existing financing programs. This funding will support various initiatives, including AI adoption in manufacturing and the health sector
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The strategy places a strong emphasis on implementing European AI-enabled tools in defence. Brussels plans to accelerate the development and deployment of AI-enabled command and control (C2) capacities, which are currently heavily reliant on US-provided systems through NATO
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.This strategic move comes amid rising concerns about Europe's technological dependence, particularly in light of potential political shifts in the United States and China's growing prominence in AI development. The EU aims to position itself as a key player in the global AI race, ensuring it doesn't miss out on the benefits of this revolutionary technology
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