Google: EU's AI adoption lags China amid regulatory hurdles
Key Takeaways
- Google executive Kent Walker urged the EU to increase AI adoption through smarter, less burdensome regulation.
- European AI adoption (14%) severely lags behind China's (estimated 83%), posing risks to future prosperity and security.
- Over 60% of European businesses cite complex regulation as their biggest obstacle to investment in the EU.
- Walker proposed a three-part strategy: simplifying AI regulation to focus on outputs, building adoption through workforce skilling, and scaling innovation support.
- The current EU regulatory environment is criticized for imposing high costs and exacerbating market fragmentation.
Kent Walker, Googleâs President of Global Affairs, addressed the Competitive Europe Summit in Brussels, calling for the EU to accelerate AI adoption via a smarter regulatory framework to keep pace with global competition, particularly from China. Walker stressed that AI is crucial for future geopolitical leadership and prosperity, noting that while China is integrating AI across its economy (83% adoption), European adoption lags significantly at around 14%. He argued that the EU's complex regulatory landscape, which has seen over one hundred new digital economy regulations since 2019, is stifling investment, with businesses citing regulation as their primary obstacle. To address this, Walker proposed a strategy centered on simplifying the regulatory landscape to focus on real-world outputs rather than micromanaging inputs, ensuring rules nurture innovation. Furthermore, he emphasized the need for workforce skilling and scaling support for widespread adoption to close the technological gap. Walker affirmed Google's commitment to Europe, highlighting its significant infrastructure investments, and encouraged businesses to provide input on the EU's upcoming AI agenda before the October 14 deadline.
