There was a time when people said: “Americans invent, the Chinese copy, Europeans regulate.” Today, the US dominates AI, China manufactures the most advanced products… and Europe watches the train go by while debating whether ChatGPT should use gender-neutral pronouns.
Europe is quietly losing the global race for artificial intelligence and innovation. The United States invents, funds, and dominates: over $100 billion invested in AI in 2024, compared to less than $10 billion for China and mere crumbs for Europe. China, meanwhile, no longer copies, it now controls global production of robots, batteries, and semiconductors.
During this time, the European Union perfects its regulatory arsenal, without an industrial strategy or common vision. France loves to imagine itself as a Gaulish village: Mistral AI shines, Paris attracts attention, but 56% of French capital flees to the United States, and talent follows.
The result: a continent that regulates what it no longer produces, dependent on American clouds and Asian supply chains. If we’re not careful, the risk is becoming permanently a digital colony, merely consuming technologies designed elsewhere.
Europe can still react by linking regulation with industrial strategy, by investing massively, by unifying its markets. But the innovation train won’t wait for those who remain on the platform debating the color of the cars.
