The European Commission is an active promoter of the interdisciplinary discussions in the field of artificial intelligence and the other industries. The AI & Policy Day: Scaling AI in Europe is an event where this conversation can be exemplified in a very visible way, and the full-day event will happen on December 11 at the AI House in Amsterdam. The objective is to facilitate a fair and future-oriented dialogue about how the continent could speed up AI use in a responsible manner while maintaining and strengthening its power position in the world.
As per the organisers, this meeting serves as a platform where the people involved in policy-making, entrepreneurs, researchers, and corporate decision-makers can discuss the issues related to AI in Europe and come up with the most practicable solutions. Given that regulation, investment, and innovation policy are the main topics on the EU agenda, the event is going to be about finding a way that leads to a balance between technological advancement and social protection.
The European Commission is organising the event with the help of Innovation Radar Bridge and StepUp StartUps; both are initiatives funded by the EU and aimed at supporting innovation and identifying high-potential European technology. Recently both programmes have published data-driven reports presenting Europe’s AI position globally. The main points, which are discussed by these two reports, especially related to Europe’s competitive edge, investment gaps, and talent needs, will be a source of the conversation throughout the day.
The organisers of the event stated that the AI Policy Day will be different from the usual conference. The main idea of the day is to have it as a “working space”, where besides keynotes and panels there are also collaborative discussions that help turn the insights into actionable recommendations. Besides that, networking sessions will give a chance to people from different sectors to meet each other and thus build the relationships that will facilitate a stronger AI ecosystem.
One of the issues, for example, is how Europe could use AI to maintain its competitive edge amid the rapid advancement of AI technologies. Directors of corporations will most likely be stressing the scaling-up of innovation issue as well as providing European enterprises with the necessary materials and capital that will enable them to compete on a world stage. One more issue, the difference in the AI utilization level between big enterprises on the one hand and small and medium-sized businesses on the other, will be a subject of discussion quite a lot, and the division that policymakers endeavor to tighten is a provision of more accessible tools, training, and opening of funding avenues that lead to the latter’s empowerment.
Moreover, the symposium will delve into the imperative to grow Europe’s AI-skilled workforce. The experts’ stand is that, without heavy spending on education, skill enhancement, and cross-border cooperation, Europe might be at a disadvantage compared to the U.S. and China in the distant future. The majority of the speakers will provide their suggestions based on the latest studies, and some of the measures could be to facilitate the relocation of AI experts and the establishment of links between universities and the business sector.
A great number of the speakers have been locked in already. Among the noteworthy names are Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford University; Marc Zegveld, Managing Director at TNO; Jelle Prins, Co-founder of Cradle; Lennard Kooy, CEO and Founder of LLeverage; Annabelle Vultee, CEO of Goodhabitz; Fabrizio Del Maffeo, CEO and Co-founder of Axelera AI; and Yoram Wijngaarde, CEO and Founder of Dealroom.
Besides the line-up of confirmed panellists who are experts in privacy, cybersecurity, procurement, talent development and geostrategic risk, the European Commission — with Senior Policy Officer Eoghan O’Neill among others — will provide insights into the way EU institutions are preparing to assist AI integration in a safe manner in the different member states.
It is already possible to submit applications to attend the conference, which is expected to attract startups, researchers, and policymakers from all over Europe. More details about the schedule and guest speakers will be unveiled in the next weeks.
As the landscape of AI worldwide is changing very fast, the EU Commission regards this conference as a very important turning point to collect different opinions and help to decide the direction of the next stage of the AI strategy in Europe. According to one of the organisers, the objective of the day is straightforward: “Grasp the opportunities, face the risks, and cooperate in order to create an AI future that is in line with European values.”
