Bruno Saraiva [master’s student in European Union Law and Digital Citizenship & Technological Sustainability (CitDig) scholarship holder]

The stakes have never been higher. They could not have been lower. In today’s world, competition is no longer a byproduct of cohabitation but the very condition of survival – economic, diplomatic, military. And the arena of this competition is digital: data, computing, and the capacity to summon and shape the world’s resources at near-instant speed.[1] This is the new frontier of sovereignty and power. Against this backdrop, the European Union (EU) has wagered that funding, infrastructure, and regulation together – not raw scale alone – will secure its place in the digital age.

Funding as foundation

One must give credit where credit is due: the EU’s AI innovation package reflects a cohesive, participatory and integration-oriented approach. But it could always be more comprehensive. Going beyond mere funding and regulatory flexibility, it offers a coherent, structured approach that emphasises not only technological development but also the education and empowerment of potential users regardless of background – a crucial wellspring of transformation. The further technological advancement diffuses outwards from academic institutions and research centres into society, the greater their potential to generate transformative difference. This is because such fusion entails engagement with a wide range of issues, modes of thought, toolsets and problem-solving strategies, fostering a reflexive process that enriches both innovation and governance.[2] In this sense, diversity of contact and application operates as an engine of innovation, particularly when viewed through the lens of long-term economic development.

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