The European Commission has introduced two new strategies designed to accelerate AI adoption in Europe. The Apply AI Strategy focuses on promoting artificial intelligence in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, energy, and defense. Brussels wants to prioritize European-made technology to reduce dependency on China and the United States.

Von der Leyen describes AI as a key to smarter and more affordable solutions but also sees it as a matter of strategic autonomy. Europe aims to build its own alternatives to dominant US systems such as OpenAI and Google’s Gemini. The Commission has allocated €1 billion to this goal — modest compared to the trillions invested in Silicon Valley.

Daniel Mügge, professor at the University of Amsterdam, welcomes the European approach for its focus on tangible economic and social benefits rather than sheer computing power. However, he warns that limited funding and political coordination may not be enough to shift the balance of global AI leadership.

The creative sector remains a delicate issue. While the Commission highlights AI’s potential to “open new paths to creativity,” many artists worry about the use of copyrighted work in model training without consent.

Ultimately, the strategy underlines Europe’s intent to shape AI on its own terms — with public values, transparency, and social responsibility at its core. These themes resonate strongly with the work of AmsterdamAI and Dutch research initiatives that bridge ethical reflection and technological innovation.

Read the full article on the website of Volkskrant.