The EU's special envoy for industrial AI has made a case to the bloc's leadership that deploying AI to address Europe's productivity challenges should take precedence over attempting to match the technological prowess of American and Chinese competitors. During a closed-door gathering of the 27 commissioners on 4 September, Jim Hagemann Snabe outlined how artificial intelligence could strengthen performance across healthcare, agriculture, transportation, defence and manufacturing sectors, according to two Commission officials who spoke with Politico.
A week prior to Snabe's presentation, Commission AI specialists delivered a parallel message to the heads of cabinet for each commissioner. The underlying argument, visible in slides reviewed by Politico, holds that while the US and China maintain advantages in model development and computational resources, Europe stands to benefit substantially by focusing on implementation rather than competing in foundational technology.
The briefing materials pointed to concrete opportunities: streamlined approval processes for autonomous vehicles, protected data environments for tailored medical treatments, and digital tools to support agricultural decision-making. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this perspective during her State of the Union address on 16 September, stating that Europe does not need to build frontier AI to get the most value from it.
Snabe, who serves as chair of Siemens' supervisory board, was brought into the role in June to work alongside von der Leyen and technology chief Henna Virkkunen. His appointment sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest at the time. Thomas Regnier, a Commission spokesperson, told Politico that the discussions centred on accelerating corporate adoption of AI technologies across the continent.
The strategy faces resistance from some quarters. German MEP Axel Voss has criticized the Commission for moving too slowly on enforcing its AI law and highlighted recent incidents involving AI-powered hacking operations. Meanwhile, other voices within European policy circles argue for a different direction. Earlier this month, former commissioner Margrethe Vestager and economist Philippe Aghion jointly called for Europe to capture 15% of global computing capacity by 2030.
According to Politico, Snabe's team will spend the coming months until December examining how different sectors can integrate AI into their operations. Policy proposals are expected to emerge near year's end, with a comprehensive report and strategic framework scheduled for early 2027.
Source: The Next Web
