Despite regulations on AI, the European executive fails to coordinate national plans.
ADVERTISEMENTThe European Commission must invest more in artificial intelligence if it is to achieve its ambitions and be on par with the United States and China, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a report published today (29 May ).
Auditors, charged with monitoring EU finances, said that despite drafting regulations on AI – which will officially come into force next month – the Commission has failed to coordinate with different Member States on AI policy and to systematically monitor investments.
“Going forward, stronger governance and more – and better targeted – public and private investment will be paramount if the EU is to realize its AI ambitions,” the report says.
The audit – carried out through surveys of the 27 national authorities responsible for coordinating AI policies – mainly focused on the effectiveness of the Commission’s actions in supervising national AI plans in 2018 and 2021, regulatory reforms and the implementation of EU-funded measures to boost AI. deployment and scaling of AI innovations.
The report shows that bloc-wide and national-level measures were “not effectively coordinated” because the Commission lacked the necessary governance tools and information. For example, it was unclear how member states should contribute to achieving EU investment targets.
Furthermore, the Commission has been slow to implement new facilities to bring AI innovation to the market, partly due to the late adoption of the Digital Europe funding programme, which means that no significant results were obtained at the time of the audit.
“Significant and targeted investments in AI will be a game-changer in setting the pace of EU economic growth in the years to come,” said ECA member Mihails Kozlovs, who led the audit. “In the race for AI, there is a risk that the winner takes all. If the EU is to realize its ambition, the Commission and Member States must join forces more effectively, pick up the pace and unleash the EU’s potential to succeed in this major technological revolution underway,” said Kozlovs.
France
The United States has long been a pioneer in AI, while China plans to become the global leader in AI by 2030, the report said, with both relying on significant private investment. EU targets for public and private investment in AI were €20 billion over 2018-2020, and €20 billion per year over the following decade .
The share of EU businesses using AI differs significantly between Member States. France and Germany, for example, have announced the largest public investments in AI, while other countries have not developed a national AI strategy. Earlier this week (May 22), French President Emmanuel Macron announcement investment aimed at projecting the country to become a world leader in AI. A new program plans to invest €400 million in nine universities to facilitate AI research sites and develop talent in the sector.
The EU aims for 75% of businesses to use AI by 2030, saying the adoption of such technologies by businesses and the public sector can lead to productivity gains and help solve societal challenges.
The European Commission has been contacted for a response.
