Development : competitive innovation in human centric AI

This contribution was delivered online on 6 May 2021 on the occasion of the hybrid 2021 edition of EUI State of the Union on ‘Europe in a Changing World'.While Europe continues to lag behind the US and China in the AI-development race, the EU ramps up its efforts to establish a framework on AI. To be globally competitive and accelerate investments in AI, the EC aims in its recent proposals to coordinate innovation across Member States by funding for public-private partnerships and research through the Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programmes, as well as through the Recovery and Resilience Facility that foresees 20% digital expenditure. Furthermore the EC aims to Foster AI excellence ‘from the lab to the market’, i.e. by creating testing and experimentation facilities and digital innovation hubs and by building strategic leadership on AI in high-impact sectors such as sustainable production and health care. Eliminating hurdles by bringing greater legal clarity, simplifying the administrative burden and costs for companies in the new Machinery Regulation should help safe integration of AI in consumer products ranging from lawnmowers to 3D printers. While the US and China obviously strive to maintain competitive advantage in global AI leadership, will this recent EC Proposal be able to guarantee competitive European innovation in research and deployment of human centric AI? Are the obligations placed on the providers of AI that are aimed at safety of citizens and protection of human rights indeed proportionate and predictable or will they potentially hinder innovation? Will a common European approach accelerate the uptake of human centric AI throughout different sectors? What else is needed