Brussels, Feb 19 (UNI) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday unveiled a new digital strategy for the European Union that will focus on transparency and human agency in spheres such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data management with the aim of making European technology more competitive with the United States and China.
According to an official press release, the new digital strategy will aim to use data and AI solutions to create an open society, foster economic growth and combat climate change.
“Today we are presenting our ambition to shape Europe's digital future. It covers everything from cybersecurity to critical infrastructures, digital education to skills, democracy to media. I want that digital Europe reflects the best of Europe – open, fair, diverse, democratic, and confident,” von der Leyen said in the press release.
The European Commission unveiled its plans for future engagement with AI in a white paper that accompanied the press release, which outlined that the technology must be safe, transparent, and subject to human agency and oversight. Digital innovation will also be subject to a rigorous regulatory framework in order to protect users and consumers
The white paper also called for the EU to make a greater investment in digital solutions, adding that the union has fallen behind both the United States and Asia. According to EU figures, AI investment in Europe totaled 3.2 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in 2016, significantly below the $13.1 billion invested in the US, and $7.0 billion invested in Asia in the same year.
Greater investment in technology should be to the benefit of every EU citizen, whether it results in producing greener forms of transport or the greater use of AI in health care, the union’s technology chief Margrethe Vestager added in the press release.
The most-recent announcement follows the adoption of a strategy on AI in April 2018 that called for greater cooperation between member states in technological development.
UNI XC-RHK2036