Despite AI regulations, the EU executive has failed to align national plans.
advertisementThe European Commission needs to increase investment in artificial intelligence if it wants to reach its goals and become more on par with the US and China, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a report published today (May 29).
Auditors responsible for scrutinizing EU finances said the European Commission had failed to coordinate with individual member states on AI policy and systematically monitor investments, despite drawing up AI regulations that will formally come into force next month.
“Looking forward, stronger governance and greater, more targeted public and private investment will be paramount if the EU is to achieve its AI ambitions,” the report said.
The audit was carried out through a survey of 27 national authorities responsible for coordinating AI policy and primarily examined the Commission's activities in overseeing national AI plans for 2018 and 2021, regulatory reforms and the effectiveness of the implementation of EU-funded measures to stimulate the deployment and scale-up of AI innovation.
The report said bloc-wide and national 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 was slow to adopt the Digital Europe funding programme, which has led to delays in putting in place new facilities to bring AI innovations to market, and no significant progress had been achieved at the time of the audit.
“Large-scale and intensive AI investments will be a game changer in determining the speed of EU economic growth in the coming years,” said Mikhail Kozlov, the ECA member who led the audit. “In the AI race, there is a risk of winner taking all. If the EU wants to achieve its ambitions, the Commission and Member States must join forces more effectively, pick up the pace and unleash the EU's potential to succeed in this great ongoing technological revolution,” Kozlov said.
France
The United States has long been a pioneer in AI, while China plans to become the global AI leader by 2030, and both countries are relying on significant private investment, according to the report. The EU's target for public and private investment in AI was €20 billion from 2018 to 2020, and €20 billion each year thereafter.
The percentage of companies using AI in the EU varies greatly between member states. For example, France and Germany have announced the largest public AI investments, while several other countries have yet to develop a national AI strategy. Earlier this week (May 22), French President Emmanuel Macron announced investments aimed at making the country a global leader in AI. The new program will invest 400 million euros in nine universities to promote AI research hubs and develop talent in the field.
The EU claims that the adoption of AI technology by companies and the public sector will lead to increased productivity and help solve societal challenges, and aims for 75% of companies to use AI by 2030.
We have asked the European Commission for a response.
