Europeans are embracing AI, but still want tighter regulations

Most EU respondents in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain think that effective regulation of AI is a greater priority than encouraging its development, according to a recent YouGov survey.

Spain is the country most in favour of greater AI regulation among the seven member states, at 73%.

On the other hand, only between 11% and 20% take the opposing view that "it is more important that new technology, such as AI, can be developed freely, even if this means that the industry is less regulated".

Most EU citizens in these seven countries are still unsure whether they believe in the positive impact of AI on society.

Half of the Spanish and 48% of the Romanian respondents think AI will have a generally positive impact on economic growth in Europe.

Meanwhile, only 22% of French respondents agree, making them the most sceptical among the seven countries.

However, this does not stop them from using it.

Across these seven countries, almost half say they have used AI for leisure or personal activities at some point, with the Dutch and Spaniards most likely to do so, at 64% and 61%, respectively.

Yet, they claim not to use it frequently, with up to 12% using AI daily and only between 27% and 43% using it weekly.

Is Europe competitive in AI tech compared to big economies?

Debates about Europe's preparedness and competitiveness in developing a strong AI industry are becoming more pronounced, with most observers not being hopeful for the continent.

In June, Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, during an exclusive dinner at the Élysée Palace held by French President Emmanuel Macron, stated that Europe is too slow on AI development.

Last month, one of the winners of this year's Nobel Prize in economics, France's Philippe Aghion, also warned that Europe is losing the tech race to China and the US.

However, the public opinion of these seven EU countries seems to show an overall more positive trend.

EU citizens tend to think that tech companies in Europe are competitive with those in the US, with those in the Netherlands and Spain making up the highest share, both at 43%.

However, respondents think that tech companies in Europe are inferior to those in China.

This is especially true among respondents in Spain, Germany, and Italy.