Why Europe has been absent from the great AI safety debate

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde said Europeans face two options on AI: shun the technology and lose out on growth, or embrace it and become dependent on tools developed by the US and China. The Guardian reported that Europe has been largely absent from the intensifying global debate over AI safety, even though the continent would be affected by the technology regardless of how worst-case scenarios play out. The piece noted that Europe has measures addressing how consumers might encounter AI, while experts hold differing views on the severity of the risks.

Why Europe has been absent from the great AI safety debate By Dan Milmo and Aisha DownSource: The Guardian Technology https://www.theguardian.com/us/technology Though Europe has measures that address how consumers might encounter AI, technology will impact them if the worst scenarios bear 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 https://www.machinebrief.com/glossary/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 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/15/could-ai-really-wipe-out-humanity-and-hijack-the-internet – then the technology will impact the continent regardless. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/18/europe-ai-safety-debate Get AI news in your inbox Daily digest of what matters in AI.