EU rolls out EUR1b AI plan to boost bloc's adoption
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The news: The European Union has outlined plans to push adoption and research into artificial intelligence across the bloc as it seeks to reduce its reliance on US and Chinese technology.
The numbers: The EU on Wednesday said that to boost AI adoption and support its ‘Apply AI’ strategy, the its will mobilise around EUR1 billion ($1.77 billion) in funding.
The context: The Apply AI strategy follows an action plan unveiled in April which aims to reduce regulatory burden and cost for startups trying to comply with the EU’s AI rules which came into effect in August 2024.
The Commission said that the strategy will target adoption across sectors including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, mobility, manufacturing, construction, agri-food, defence, communications and culture. Specifically, the measures include establishing AI-powered advanced screening centres for healthcare and supporting the development of frontier models and agentic AI tailored to sectors such as manufacturing, environment and pharmaceuticals.
What they said: "I want the future of AI to be made in Europe," commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. "AI adoption needs to be widespread, and with these strategies, we will help speed up the process. We will drive this 'AI first' mindset across all our key sectors, from robotics to healthcare, energy and automotive," she said.
The source: European Commission press release
