'… Europe is a unique aspiration. Since then questions of new technologies and European values have been at the forefront of political discussions in Brussels and member states regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), including preparations for the forthcoming AI Act and recently adopted Digital Services Act. These discussions have not only addressed technocratic questions of economic indicators and legal instruments but also involved soul-searching and reflections on European identity: What is Europe? What does Europe stand for? And how does Europe want to project its identity and power to the rest of the world?

The US and EU are talking up the significance of their new pact on artificial intelligence, but a closer inspection indicates the two sides still have precious little common when it comes to regulating the technology – except a desire to take the moral high ground against China. The long-awaited agreement was reached when the Trade and Technology Council met for the first time on 29 September in Pittsburgh, with Brussels and Washington vowing to make sure AI systems are "innovative and trustworthy" and "respect universal human rights and shared democratic values". The EU and US will "seek to develop a mutual understanding on the principles underlining trustworthy and responsible AI," the agreement says. But exactly what this means in practice remains to be fleshed out. While both sides said they have noted each other's domestic regulatory proposals on AI, there is no mention of coordinating their approaches.