On 7 May 2026, European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis addressed the Brussels Economic Forum on artificial intelligence, warning that Europe cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the digital revolution and must act with ambition to secure AI leadership. He stressed that an "AI gap" with international competitors would have grave consequences for EU prosperity and security.
Dombrovskis noted that the EU produces 22% of global AI research journal articles, compared to 17% from the US, and that European-made ASML lithography systems are critical for chip production. However, he pointed out that the US has created six tech companies with a market capitalisation of over €1 trillion, while the EU has none. He called for harnessing AI to boost productivity, preparing the workforce, mobilising finance for infrastructure and start-ups, and ensuring regulation enables investment and innovation rather than discouraging it. He also highlighted the need to preserve financial stability against sophisticated cybersecurity threats.
The speech contained no concrete policy proposals, numerical targets, or new institutional structures, instead offering broad commitments and calls for action. Dombrovskis framed the EU's position as needing to catch up in AI development while leveraging existing strengths in research and manufacturing. The tone was urgent but not confrontational, urging a proactive approach to avoid falling behind global competitors.
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