Brussels to launch ambitious AI plan to boost Europe's global competitiveness

The European Commission is putting the finishing touches on a new plan aimed at making its artificial intelligence regulations more business-friendly as companies grapple with the impact of rising American tariffs on the global economy.

The proposed strategy, dubbed the "AI Continent" plan, is set to be launched on April 9, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

According to a draft obtained by POLITICO, the Commission is seeking to simplify the regulatory framework and remove "obstacles" it believes are hindering European companies' ability to compete with the U.S. and China in the AI race.

The move comes after strong lobbying from major tech firms and AI frontrunners, who voiced concerns over the EU’s AI Act and other digital legislation. Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s report on Europe’s competitiveness and priorities set by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflect these concerns. Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s tech czar, echoed these sentiments in February, calling for a more "innovation-friendly" regulatory environment.

The draft strategy is expected to highlight the need to reduce the compliance burden of the AI Act, in a bid to foster AI development. The latest EU statistics show that just 13 percent of European companies have adopted AI, underscoring the need for more supportive measures.

Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Vice President for Global Affairs, recently stated that Brussels must ensure its rules remain "simple and predictable." He stressed the importance of the EU building its own AI infrastructure and retraining its workforce. OpenAI’s recommendations also include a €1 billion fund for AI pilot projects, as well as an ambitious plan to boost EU computing power by 300 percent by 2030 and to equip 100 million Europeans with AI skills.

The Commission is also seeking input from the tech industry on regulatory uncertainties that may create obstacles to AI development. Among the measures outlined in the draft plan are proposals to increase computing power, enhance the use of high-quality data for AI training, and improve worker skills in the sector.

In line with its €20 billion promise made at the Paris AI Action Summit, the EU also aims to establish five "AI gigafactories." These high-capacity centres will be critical for training the most complex AI models and will be equipped with four times the processing power of current supercomputers. The draft calls for EU member states to invest in or host these gigafactories, which will kick off a formal procedure later this year.

Another key aspect of the Commission’s plan is expanding Europe’s cloud and data centre capacity. The draft outlines plans to triple data centre capacity in the next five to seven years, addressing concerns about Europe’s reliance on non-EU infrastructure, notably American hyperscalers like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

By Aghakazim Guliyev