The European Commission has unveiled its plan to make Europe an AI leader and is inviting public feedback to help shape its implementation.
The European Commission has underscored that the global race for AI leadership is far from over. In a climate of geopolitical uncertainty, the need for Europe to become an AI leader seems particularly urgent. Yet, if it wants to catch up with the USA and China, it must step up its efforts. In April, several activities from the European Commission are dedicated to this aim. This month saw the presentation of the “AI Continent Action Plan”, which sets out how the EU can position itself as a global AI frontrunner. Alongside the plan, the Commission further launched several public consultations that should allow them to develop their strategies in the areas of data access, applied AI in industry and the public sector, and AI in Science.
The AI Content Action Plan aims to promote and accelerate the EU AI policies by bringing together a set of initiatives. According to the plan, measures in five key areas are crucial for Europe to strengthen its AI capacities:
The first area of planned actions aims at a scaled-up public EU computing infrastructure. It includes both the infrastructure to offer greater computing capacity for AI and related services – through the establishment of the network of the EU AI Factories – and the integration of massive computing power into data centres – through the establishment of resource-efficient Gigafactories.
Second key area concerns the access to data. The EU wants to take action to ensure access to high-quality data for AI innovators. A Data Union Strategy is in the making to make data available, which will also seek ways to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy.
Thirdly, as the AI Continent Action Plan points out, the development of AI algorithms needs to be stimulated, and their adoption in strategic EU sectors needs to be pushed. Here, too, the Commission is launching the forthcoming Apply AI Strategy. It’s intended to cover how strategic EU sectors can benefit most from AI solutions. It will therefore focus on those industrial sectors where EU expertise could contribute to increasing productivity and competitiveness. The strategy will also include potential beneficial uses of AI in the public sector, such as healthcare, justice, education, and public administration. Complementary to the Apply AI Strategy, a European Strategy for AI in Science will further focus specifically on the use of AI across scientific disciplines. Both strategies are planned to be adopted in the second half of 2025.
The AI continent’s fourth pillar will consist of AI skills and talent. The AI Continent Action Plan therefore includes measures to increase the pool of AI specialists in the EU. This includes not only the education and training of future AI experts in the EU, but also the aim of giving these experts sufficient incentives to stay in the EU. At the educational level, the European Commission thus supports EU BA and MA degrees and PhD programmes in key technologies such as AI.
The fifth key area for the development of a European AI Continent concerns regulatory simplification. The EU has already adopted the AI Act intended to create the conditions for a well-functioning single market for AI. However, the success of this high-level legislation will depend on how workable its rules are in practice. The AI Act Service Desk will serve as the central contact point for businesses seeking guidance and information and is considered the first step towards a successful implementation of the AI Act. It will be launched in the summer of 2025.
For all the strategies mentioned here – the Data Union Strategy, the Apply AI Strategy and the Strategy for AI in Science – public consultations are either already open or will be opened shortly. They will serve the Commission to gain an understanding of stakeholder’s perspectives and help them to further develop their Strategies. The public consultation for the Data Union Strategy will gather input from businesses, the public sector, researchers and other stakeholders. It is expected to be launched at any moment. With regard to the application of AI in industry and the public sector, the Call for Evidence for the Apply AI Strategy is now open. This consultation will inform the drafting of the future Apply AI strategy. In addition, two consultations on the future European Strategy for AI in Science have been launched: a Call for Evidence, to which everyone can contribute, and a targeted questionnaire for researchers and the broader research and innovation community.
It is clear from these recent launches and publications that the European Commission wants to specifically address the topic of AI and science. The Commission emphasises the importance of fundamental research in Europe’s ambition to become an AI continent. Therefore, in a pilot phase, the European AI Research Council (as announced in the Political Guidelines for 2024-2029) will pool resources “that push the technological boundaries of AI and tap into its potential to facilitate scientific breakthroughs” as the AI Continent Action Plan states. It will do so under the new acronym RAISE – Resource for AI Science in Europe. This resource will be dedicated to both Science for AI and AI for Science.
The growing relevance of AI in science is also underscored by another recent publication from the European Commission: the working document “Artificial intelligence in science – Promises or perils for creativity?”. This report examines the impact of AI across scientific disciplines and regions. While the extent of AI adoption varies significantly between fields, the study finds a steady overall increase in its use for research since 2010. From the perspective of researchers and research organisations, this growing integration of AI into scientific practice raises important ethical questions about its responsible use. Guidance on navigating these challenges can be found in the second edition of the ERA Forum Stakeholders’ document “Living guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research” – yet another publication on AI released in April.