Created: 22 Feb, 2025
Updated: 5 Mar, 2025
Read post: 03:11 min read
AI is the most powerful technology of our time. It will redefine healthcare, security, finance, and the **global economy.**And yet, while the U.S. is in an all-out arms race to deploy AI, Europe is still talking about it.
I just returned from two of the biggest AI events in France—the AI Action Summit in Paris and the World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF). The contrast between ambition and execution has never been clearer.
Europe is like a guy who spent months chasing the perfect woman—a supermodel. He finally gets her number, takes her to dinner, buys $20,000 concert tickets for Anna Bon at Royal Albert Hall, checks them into a luxury hotel, and spends the entire evening telling her how much of a sex god he is. Then, they get to the room, he undresses her, and… he walks away.
That guy? That’s Europe right now.
They’ve spent billions on AI regulation talks, summits, and ethical debates. They’ve attracted the best talent 🧠, hosted high-level discussions, and signed memorandums. But when it’s time for action? They leave the room.
In Paris, over 60 countries attended the AI Action Summit, signing a **declaration on "safe, inclusive, and ethical AI."**The U.S. 🇺🇸 and the U.K. 🇬🇧? They refused to sign.
Why? Because the declaration is about limiting AI, not accelerating it. Meanwhile:
✅ 80%+ of global AI investmentsin the past year went to the U.S. and China.
✅ **Europe produced only 3 of the world's top 50 AI startups. \ ✅ The U.S. AI market is projected to reach $594B by 2030, while Europe lags behind at $220B.
The U.S. and China are fighting for AI dominance 🏆. Europe? It’s fighting over committee approvals
At WAICF, we saw some amazing demos from Tesla, IBM, and AWS. But here’s the hard truth:
⚠️ Most panels were STILL about AI governance and ethics. \ ⚠️ European startups complained about regulation instead of launching products. \ ⚠️ Investors hesitated, fearing bureaucracy over boldness.
France announced a $1.5 billion AI investment package. Sounds big? The U.S. just injected $40 billion.
Cannes Rolled Out the Red Carpet for AI—But Who’s Running the Show?
The biggest problem? Most of Europe still doesn’t understand AI security.
Europe talks about bias, misinformation, and fairness. The U.S. talks about China, cybersecurity, and national defense.
🚨 AI-powered cyberattacks are already happening. \ 🚨 Deepfake propaganda is real. \ 🚨 The biggest AI security firms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind) are all American.
When AI-driven cyberwarfare, espionage, and market manipulation explode, who will Europe turn to? The very American companies they refused to support.
I love Europe ❤️. I do business here, I help companies grow, and I believe in its potential. But right now, the future of AI isn’t being decided in Paris or Cannes—it’s happening in Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Washington.
If Europe wants to compete, it needs to:
1️⃣ Stop over-regulating and start executing. \ 2️⃣ Build AI solutions, not just frameworks. \ 3️⃣ Secure AI talent before they all move to the U.S. \ 4️⃣ Treat AI security as a national priority.
The race is already on 🏁.
AI waits for no one.
🚀 Your move, Europe.