Out of the slow lane: How Europe can meet the challenge of AI

EU member states need to turn their declarations of intent about international cooperation on technological sovereignty into real projects. According to Kai-Fu Li, former president of Google China, Europe has little chance of winning even the "bronze medal" in the global race to develop artificial intelligence (AI). Although this sounds like a harsh judgment, there seems to be widespread agreement among analysts, commentators, and policymakers that Europe is missing the boat on technological innovation in general and AI in particular. Excessive regulation, a business environment ill-suited to start-ups, a lack of investment – the list of grievances is long. But, while these concerns are not completely unfounded, they are somewhat self-flagellating.