5 recommendations signed by
31
Organisations
13
Startups
3
Individuals and politicians
We want to see startups thrive in Europe.
We agree on a range of recommendations to help support startups and innovators using AI in
Europe as a whole.
Recommendations
AI must be demystified in the public eye, to
help businesses invest in AI projects. Without this, we will never develop the
real-world evidence
and data which are essential for high quality AI and high quality regulations, which
complement
the economy.
There is a call for AI trainings
on all levels in society, including policymakers and politicians, to democratise the
AI
understanding and vision. Applying AI successfully often requires a complete
rethinking of
business processes, and especially startups need easy access to all relevant AI
tools
to succeed.
AI cannot be ‘sprinkled’ on
outdated structures, hoping it works. There needs to be the right external
conditions
to embark
on a transformation. The EU market is far from one single market, and in particular
when it
comes to the digital economy. In a truly digitised single market, for example, data
will be able to
flow freely between all member states in the EU, allowing digital solutions and AI
applications to
enjoy as much European data as possible.
Regulation should be a last resort. But if
introduced, it must be based on specific findings, be smart and set out an overall
direction of use.
The impact of AI varies greatly depending on the use cases - this needs to be taken
into account
when considering a governance framework. Regulation should avoid descriptive and
restrictive
rules to keep up with the fast pace of technological change, to boost innovation and
new
emerging tech startups.
Technical elements of
AI regulations should be kept outside of statutory regulation and be laid down in
standards and
industry codes, in order to make regulations a collaborative process between
government and
industry, and to ensure that they are fit for purpose in such a fast-moving sector.
Notable signees
Danish Entrepreneurship Association
Dutch Startup Association
Belgian Startup Association
Association of Nordic Engineers / ANE
Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic
Allied4Startups
Spanish Startup Association
Roma Startup association
APDS
Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy
Beta-i
NEST Tourism Innovation Center Portugal
German Startups Association
Developers Alliance
Startup Poland
Swedish AI Council
Corti
SMV Danmark
The Danish ICT Industry Association
DIGITALEUROPE
TechBBQ
Solita
Autovice
Creative Mobile
Grib3D
Universal Avenue
Einride
Nordic EdTech Forum
Springrise
Meds
SupWiz
Datapult
Worksome
Europe has a significant voice in the international economy.
Europe is a huge economy, produces some of the best companies
and services in the world, has great educational institutions
and should capitalize on these strengths. But small businesses
and startups can be unintentionally harmed by regulations,
such as the inconsistent rules on the sale of stock options
around Europe, or the strict data-usage and copyright legislation.
These issues, among others, contribute to the fact that
investment in AI in China is three times larger than in Europe,
and five times larger in the United States.
We all want to see pan-European tech companies thrive, and
for Europe to truly embrace the digital age. Before introducing
new legislation, we propose that you listen to the concerns
of tech startups and scaleups first, who are heavily affected
by sweeping legislation. We urge you and your colleagues to
consider our range of recommendations, and look at our way
forward for Europe in the age of AI.