UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron are both vying for the title of Europe’s AI capital, each making bold statements to stake their claim in this highly anticipated market. Macron declared at France’s Viva Tech conference that they are “number one” in continental Europe and must accelerate their efforts. Meanwhile, Sunak touted the UK as the “geographical home of global AI safety regulation” at the London Tech Week conference. AI is recognized as a transformative technology of strategic importance worldwide.
The hype surrounding AI has been fueled, in part, by the success of Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This technology has also contributed to tensions between the US and China, as countries vie to harness the potential of critical technologies. With this context in mind, the question arises: who will lead the race to be Europe’s AI champion?
When it comes to funding, Macron announced an additional €500 million ($562 million) at VivaTech to support the creation of new AI champions. This supplements previous commitments from the French government, including a promise to invest €1.5 billion in AI by 2022. Macron believes France has the advantage in AI due to its access to talent and growing number of startups in the field.
In contrast, the UK government pledged £1 billion ($1.3 billion) for supercomputing and AI research, with the aim of becoming a science and technology superpower. As part of this strategy, the UK intends to invest around £900 million in building an “exascale” computer to develop its own AI chatbot called BritGPT that rivals OpenAI’s technology. However, some officials have criticized this funding, arguing that it falls short in comparison to the US and China.
The UK and France also differ in their approaches to AI regulation. The European Union has introduced the AI Act, the first comprehensive set of laws focusing on AI in the West. Real-time biometric identification and social scoring systems are deemed to pose “unacceptable risk” and are therefore banned under this regulation. France, as a member of the EU, will be directly subject to the AI Act and is expected to take an assertive enforcement approach. In contrast, the UK has opted for a principles-based approach, issuing a white paper advising industry regulators on how to enforce existing rules within their sectors. The UK government claims this approach promotes flexibility and innovation compared to the more rigid French method.
Despite the differences in funding and regulatory approaches, both France and the UK have the potential to challenge the dominance of US AI giants. Alexandre Lebrun, CEO of Nabla, believes the two countries are on equal footing for starting an AI company, citing talent pools and the presence of research centers by Google and Facebook. However, Lebrun warns that the EU AI Act may hinder AI startups in the region, giving the advantage to the UK if it adopts a more favorable regulatory framework.
While London has faced criticism for being an unattractive place for tech entrepreneurs, due to political uncertainty, collaboration across Europe is essential for creating a compelling alternative to US AI giants. Claire Trachet, CFO of French tech startup YesWeHack, emphasizes the need for a strategic and collaborative approach, leveraging collective resources to disrupt the AI landscape. With Germany’s involvement, Europe’s tech superpowers could combine their strengths and create a powerful ecosystem that rivals established players in the next decade or so.
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