The European Union is accelerating investments in artificial intelligence and technology to compete with the United States and China, with Ireland serving as a model for rapid adoption. At an international AI summit in Dublin on Wednesday, EU officials and industry leaders emphasized the need to expand data-center capacity and integrate AI across sectors to avoid falling behind.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month that the bloc must "stay in the race" for AI independence. The EU is pouring billions into AI gigafactories—advanced processor hubs and energy-efficient data centers—but experts warn this may not be sufficient. Andrea Renda, research director at the CEPS think tank, noted Europe holds just 5 percent of global data-center capacity, compared to 75 percent in the U.S. and 15 percent in China. He called for "political leadership" to address obstacles to scaling AI adoption, which reached 20 percent of EU companies last year and 55 percent among large firms .
The EU’s "Apply AI" strategy, aimed at pushing manufacturers to adopt the technology, has faced criticism for lacking a dedicated budget. A recent report co-signed by former European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager warned that Europe risks becoming "a playground for foreign powers" if it fails to develop its own frontier AI models. European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip R. Lane also stressed at the Dublin summit that realizing AI’s benefits requires coordinated action across economic actors .
