Why Europe has been absent from the great AI safety debate

Christine Lagarde asserted that Europe must develop its own AI technology and build more datacentres in order to nullify the threat of being cut off by the US or China. Photograph: Bryan Meade/EPA

Europe’s dilemma over AI was rendered in stark terms this week. The head of the continent’s central bank, Christine Lagarde, said Europeans have two options: shun the technology and lose out on growth; or embrace it and become dependent on tools developed by the US and China.

The great debate over AI safety that has erupted in recent days threatens to make the choice moot. If the worst scenarios come to bear – and experts have differing views on this – then the technology will impact the continent regardless.