Policy Study: Time to build a European digital ecosystem

Policymaking for greater technological souvereignty

The beginning of the new EU mandate means the closure of a very productive legislature in the digital domain, where landmark laws like the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act were passed. Europe was the first to legislate artificial intelligence (AI).

However, the European Union is at a crossroads in its digital transformation, with geopolitical tensions and growing dependence on foreign tech giants highlighting the need for greater technological sovereignty.

Reducing digital dependencies

The policy study “Time to build a European digital ecosystem” addresses the crucial steps for the EU to reduce its digital dependencies. Consisting of seven different chapters, the study formulates concrete recommendations for the EU’s digital policy in the new mandate.

The new European Commission will have to make sure that the existing legislation will be followed by the digital gatekeepers like Google and Meta and, if needed, enforced by the Commission. As this is an ongoing battle, one chapter looks at how we can get the enforcement of digital rules right and why this is key for citizens and digital markets.

Missing the boat on the AI revolution

However, more than extra legislative rules and better enforcement, Europe needs to look for ways to reduce its dependence on large foreign companies to provide it with essential digital infrastructure. Therefore, the study makes a plea for the European Digital Industrial Policy, which can stimulate the creation of a EuroStack – a collaborative platform of interoperable technologies that align with European standards and values. The study also looks at how public digital infrastructure could be governed and proposes a commons approach.

In the short term, the AI revolution is raising concerns that the EU is missing the boat on this digital revolution completely. One chapter looks at the market monopoly aspect of the current AI landscape and at the infrastructure needed to build European alternatives. Instead of trying to compete with Big Tech’s AI investments, the EU needs a strategic overhaul that links public investment in AI to beneficial societal goals.

Highlighting the role of the media and news consumption

To illustrate the urgency of European capacity building in the digital domain, the study looks at two specific and vital aspects of society: the role of media in our digital democracy and making online news consumption by European citizens less dependent on Big Tech platforms. Finally, the impact of AI and algorithmic management (AM) on workers and their wellbeing is being discussed. Both chapters call for concrete EU actions in the new mandate.

Meet the authors:

• Francesca Bria, Honorary Professor at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose
• Johnny Ryan, Director of Enforce (Irish Council for Civil Liberties), Senior Fellow of Open Markets Institute
• Sophie Bloemen, Director of the Commons Network, working on the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) for the Digital Commons
• Matthias Pfeffer, Managing Director Council of European Public Space
• Leevi Saari, PhD Candidate, University of Amsterdam
• Fabian Ferrari, Assistant Professor in Cultural AI at Utrecht University
• José van Dijck, distinguished university professor of Media and Digital Society at Utrecht University
• Antal van den Bosch, professor of Language, Communication and Computation at Utrecht University
• Annarosa Pesole, Labour Market Specialist, International Labour Organization

Read the study here.

Conditional Computing: A new paradigm for public-interest AI in the EU

What might a progressive future of AI in the EU look like? Should public spending on AI be scaled up, so that the Union can better compete with technological superpowers in the USA and China? Or should public investments in this set of technologies be directed towards other societal goals?

Rather than attempting to seek definitive answers to whether investments should be increased or redirected, the authors in this chapter propose a shift in the foundational question itself. The question should rather be: How can AI be aligned with the public interest? The EU, along with its member states, must champion a strategic overhaul, where public investments in AI are aligned with beneficial societal goals. It is time to replace the current paradigm of relentless computing with a new era of conditional computing.

The sheer scale of Big Tech's financial capabilities means that competing solely on monetary terms is neither sustainable nor strategically sound for the EU. Instead, the EU must leverage its unique position to enforce conditions that go beyond spending more money and focus on fostering a more just technological ecosystem.