AI Action Summit 2025: Is Europe playing its last card in Paris?

The third AI Action Summit will take place in Paris on 10 and 11 February. A fund totalling 2.5 billion euros for open source AI and the development of a large European language model will be discussed. But there are hurdles to overcome. "The Paris summit reveals a strategic dilemma: on the one hand, Europe wants to set global standards with strict AI regulation, while on the other hand it fears falling behind technologically. This dual strategy - wanting to be both a referee and a player - threatens to water down both goals," emphasises Anselm Küsters, cep Head of Digitalisation, in a statement on the summit. With the AI Act, the EU must reconcile its regulatory ambitions with the promotion of innovation in order to avoid falling behind the billions of euros invested by the US and China.

But it is not just about competitiveness. Beyond the economic aspects, the summit also emphasises the need for socially accepted and ethically responsible AI. "We need to create the civilisational conditions for the productive, ethical and humane development of AI," stresses Henning Vöpel, cep CEO. Europe's role is not only that of a regulator, but also that of a pioneer for a technological transformation that is in line with its values and culture.

This summit is a crucial test of whether Europe, with its own vision and strategy, can finally become a major player in the global AI race with the US and China.