LONDON—In response to the European Commission’s newly unveiled AI Continent Action Plan, which outlines steps to boost AI leadership and deployment across the EU, the Center for Data Innovation issued the following statement from Ayesha Bhatti, Head of Digital Policy, UK & EU:
This plan is a long-overdue course correction. After years of fixating on regulating AI, the European Commission is finally pivoting toward enabling it—and Europe can let out a brief sigh of relief.
The Action Plan rightly zeroes in on key enablers: Greater access to compute, use of high-quality data, upskilling the workforce, and encouraging AI deployment in priority sectors. These are the right building blocks to turn Europe’s world-class R&D into a competitive AI marketplace and a clear sign that Europe is starting to shift from policy ambition to practical delivery.
But make no mistake: Without tackling the regulatory roadblocks, this plan is just window dressing. If Europe wants to lead in AI, it must remove the hurdles that make deploying AI difficult and expensive. Simplifying the AI Act is a welcome step, but it’s only half the battle. The GDPR also poses serious barriers to data-driven innovation. Unless both are streamlined, the EU risks pouring money into AI development while stifling its widespread use.
Europe has the research talent, industrial strength, and now a growing policy will. What it needs next is regulatory courage. Simplifying both the AI Act and GDPR would send a clear signal to innovators: Europe isn’t just open for business—it’s ready to lead.
Contact: Nicole Hinojosa, press@datainnovation.org
