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The European Union and the AI Race: Welcome to the world of tomorrow with AI

For most of our lives, Artificial Intelligence has been a slowly developing technology often featured in science fiction movies. In the 2020s, this is changing dramatically with advances in machine learning algorithms and large language models. With that, what we once considered fiction has unquestionably become a fixture in our reality and future.

The EU AI Act was the first legal framework created globally to regulate AI and consequently assuage some concerns that accompanied the prominence of AI — but a sense of anxiety still prevails. Ipsos AI Monitor (2024) showed that Czechs are more skeptical of AI than the global average. When asked about the job market, 40% of respondents said they expected that it would deteriorate due to the increased use of AI in the next 3-5 years.

Nonetheless, the global economy is inevitably bound to change in response to the race for A.I. development. On Tuesday, E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new InvestAI initiative that aims to mobilize 50 billion euros for AI advancements across Europe, (European Commission, 2025).

“The AI race is far from over,” Von der Leyen (2025) said during a speech at the AI Action Summit in Paris. “And global leadership is still up for grabs.”

Sartor (2019), in collaboration with the European Parliament, published a briefing outlining the challenges AI presents to EU citizens and consumers. Notably, the briefing highlighted concerns such as algorithmic price discrimination, targeted advertising and nudging, as well as discrimination in advertisement delivery. Shortly thereafter, the Czech Republic released its National AI Strategy, emphasizing the importance of safe and responsible AI.

“We are going to prevent discrimination, manipulation and misuse of AI, we are going to set the rules for decision-making of algorithms about people in everyday life. We want artificial intelligence to serve all the people of Europe,” (Babiš, 2019).

Therein lies the difference between the EU and the current frontrunner of the AI race. The U.S. currently has no comprehensive federal legislation regulating AI development, which allows companies to run rampant with little oversight. This is evident from polling sentiment toward AI and how it compares across the globe. While Czechia’s nervousness sits at approximately 50%, that number is much higher in the U.S. at ~65%. 

AI should make you nervous. There are ethical concerns that affect everyone, regardless of where they are. This could be a global crisis, but it could also be a global opportunity; the use of human insight and creativity combined with machine learning will lead to revolutionary breakthroughs in society. How this will be achieved is still to be decided, but one thing is clear: the choices made today will shape the future of AI for generations to come. The European Union’s cautious but proactive approach seeks to balance innovation with ethical considerations, ensuring AI serves humanity rather than exploits it. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is torn between the rush to dominate the AI frontier and the need to regulate its immense power. 

As governments, businesses, and researchers continue to grapple with AI’s implications, the real race may not just be about technological supremacy — but about who can create an AI ecosystem that is powerful and responsible. Whether Europe’s regulatory-first strategy will pay off remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the world is watching, and the future of AI is being written now.

Sources:

AI Monitor: Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Ai (2024) Ipsos. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/publication/documents/2024-09/Ipsos%20AI%20Monitor_0.pdf.

European Commission (2025) ‘Speech by President von der Leyen at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit’. European Commission Press Corner. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/it/speech_25_471.

Europa.eu (2019) ‘Artificial Intelligence: challenges for EU citizens and consumers’. European Parliament Think Tank. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/IPOL_BRI(2019)631043.

Sartor, G. (2019) ‘Artificial Intelligence: challenges for EU citizens and consumers’. European Parliament Think Tank. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/IPOL_BRI(2019)631043.

Babiš, A., Ministry of Industry, and Trade of the Czech Republic (n.d.) National Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Czech Republic. Available at: https://mpo.gov.cz/assets/en/guidepost/for-the-media/press-releases/2019/5/NAIS_eng_web.pdf.

Carmichael, M. and Stinson, J. (2024) The Ipsos AI Monitor 2024: Changing attitudes and feelings about AI and the future it will bring. Ipsos. Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en/ipsos-ai-monitor-2024-changing-attitudes-and-feelings-about-ai-and-future-it-will-bring.