Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson believes that there is a risk that the European Union will become a "museum" due to the lag of the association countries in the pace of development of modern technologies, in particular in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
"If we do not change the current situation, Europe will practically become something like a museum compared to other parts of the world," Kristersson said at the Techarena forum in Stockholm. His words were quoted by the American television channel CNBC.
The Prime Minister noted that over the past 20 years, the economies of the US and China have grown much faster than the economies of the European Union. Europe, he said, must create conditions to stimulate the development of advanced technologies and innovative products. He called on the EU to ease restrictions on the creation of new AI systems and simplify regulations for other advanced industries.
In March 2024, members of the European Parliament approved a law on the use of AI technologies. The document aims to help regulate the use of technologies such as the ChatGPT chatbot and real-time biometric identification systems.
In accordance with the law, companies creating "high-risk" AI systems must be more transparent about how they create and use AI models. Developers of the most powerful AI models face additional requirements, such as conducting risk assessments. Companies that do not comply with the law can face huge fines or even be completely banned from the community.