The world is not waiting for Europe.

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Thanks so much for reading.

Kind regards, Jarno Duursma.

Artificial intelligence | Author | Speaker

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Europe needs to wake up.

Our prosperity and geopolitical influence, often taken for granted, are under pressure, and the cost of maintaining the welfare state is high. It’s time to secure our financial stability, economic power, geopolitical influence and scientific knowledge. We do this by fully realizing that one of the most powerful forces of our time, and likely for many years to come, is Artificial Intelligence. We must harness its power and work hard to make the positive scenario a reality.

Just as other major technological revolutions have significantly improved our levels of prosperity, well-being, stability, healthcare, life expectancy, and have freed us from dangerous and mind-numbing work, these are also the opportunities we have within our reach in the era of AI.

But what do I see in Europe? As soon as the topic of AI comes up, we react with distrust and a need for control. Don’t get me wrong—regulation is important. It’s good that our privacy is protected and that we try to prevent discrimination and surveillance. Regulation is very important. And these are not empty words for me. In fact, I frequently publish on the ethical issues surrounding AI.

Wrong focus

But I sometimes feel that in Europe we focus too much on “what could go wrong” instead of on the opportunities AI offers. We concentrate too much on risks and lose sight of the possibilities.

It feels as if in Europe we want to predict, analyze, and document every possible scenario. We seem to think we must close every loophole before we can even begin.

Trying to avoid all risks is the biggest risk of all.

China and USA

Meanwhile, the U.S. and China are leading in AI. Think of OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Baidu, Tencent. They have more money, better technology, they take risks, they invest heavily, dominate the market, and innovate faster.

And Europe? Europe has many rules, but it lacks decisiveness, investment, and strong ambition. Yes, we have companies like ASML, SAP, Spotify, and Adyen. But these are exceptions.

Europe analyzes, while the U.S. and China innovate.

At this moment, it feels like we are standing at a bus stop on the side of the highway while the traffic races past us.

We now have the AI Act as a legal framework, so many AI threats are addressed. But our biggest AI threat at the moment is our own slow pace.

Sense of Urgency

What I’m missing is urgency—the feeling that we must act now, or we will soon fall far behind.

Artificial intelligence is likely the most transformative change of our generation. We must not underestimate this.

Once again: AI can have a big positive impact on healthcare, transport, the public sector, education—so many areas. It can lead to new ideas, creative solutions, and a big boost in productivity.

We are doing well in terms of regulation and assessing risks. If ONLY we were as proactive with investing, innovating, building, and taking risks.

We need to invest heavily in AI, so we can develop strong AI-technology in Europe. And we must educate. Make sure Europeans are digitally skilled and understand how AI works. Not only be aware of the risks but also understand how to use AI positively, so that they will no longer approach AI-software with suspicion.

We have a good life in Europe. But the welfare state is not guaranteed. Neither is our geopolitical influence. We must protect our prosperity with rules, but also by innovating.

If we don’t, we risk becoming less and less relevant, while China and the U.S. take the lead.

So wake up and smell the coffee..

…the world is not waiting for Europe.