World leaders, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and top executives from technology giants such as Google and OpenAI, met in Paris at the AI Action Summit. Europe will invest billions of euros in artificial intelligence (AI), including AI innovation for healthcare.
Billions for AI
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of the InvestAI program in Paris, pledging €200 billion toward AI development. Of this, €20 billion will be allocated to establishing AI gigafactories where large-scale AI models "made in Europe" will be trained. Until now, the most widely used generative AI tools, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, originate in the United States.
Von der Leyen emphasized AI's potential to revolutionize healthcare by accelerating drug discovery, enhancing treatment options, and boosting Europe's economic competitiveness. The EU's vision is for Europe to become the "Artificial Intelligence continent."
“We want Europe to be one of the leading AI continents. And this means embracing a way of life where AI is everywhere. AI can help us boost our competitiveness, protect our security, shore up public health, and make access to knowledge and information more democratic,” according to von der Leyen. In her speech at the EU Action Summit, she also mentioned European Health Data Space: “Researchers, entrepreneurs and investors will be able to join forces. Talents of the world are welcome. Industries will be able to collaborate and federate their data. We are creating a safe space for them – like the European Health Data Space.”
Europe also aims to be a major player in the AI economy
The InvestAI initiative will fund four AI gigafactories equipped with 100,000 chips, forming the world's largest public-private partnership in the pursuit of trustworthy AI development. This initiative builds upon the European Commission's AI innovation package introduced in January 2024. The plan includes the expansion of European data spaces, such as the European Health Data Space and the GenAI4EU initiative, which supports generative AI applications in biotechnology.
Additionally, a European Council for Research on Artificial Intelligence will be established. A coalition of 20 leading corporations, start-ups, and tech firms will contribute €150 billion over the next five years to AI development. This consortium, which includes ASML, Airbus, Mistral AI, Siemens, Spotify, Volkswagen, and L'Oréal Group, will collaborate with the European Commission to streamline AI regulations.
As nations race to secure AI leadership, the U.S. has committed approximately €500 billion to data center development (Stargate project), sparking an unofficial contest at the Summit over AI investment figures. French President Emmanuel Macron introduced the Current AI project, backed by €387 million in government funding, along with €109 billion in support for France's private AI sector.
Concerns about AI in healthcare and regulatory challenges
Despite the enthusiasm for AI, concerns were raised during the summit, particularly regarding its role in healthcare. Mental Health Europe warned against the rapid deployment of AI in medical settings, emphasizing that AI lacks the empathy essential to patient care. The debate over the EU AI Act, which aims to regulate AI applications in healthcare, continues. The Act's first phase, covering prohibited AI systems, took effect in February.
While Europe focuses on regulation, the U.S. is moving toward deregulation. Vice President Vance warned that excessive restrictions could "kill artificial intelligence." He also criticized AI-driven content moderation on social media, calling it "authoritarian censorship," and opposed the EU's Digital Services Act and stringent data protection laws such as GDPR.
A notable divergence in AI policy emerged as the United States and the United Kingdom declined to sign the summit's final declaration, which was endorsed by 60 countries, including China. The declaration emphasized AI's need to be inclusive, transparent, ethical, and secure.
Although AI was not a major topic for the EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare at the summit, discussions at the preceding EU Health Summit underscored the urgent challenges facing European healthcare. Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi highlighted the aging population, rising chronic disease rates, workforce shortages, and escalating costs. To address these challenges, the EU aims to lead in digital innovation, leveraging AI, biotechnology, and health data to reshape healthcare across the continent.
