WIRED's Steven Levy reports from Vivatech, a huge tech conference in Paris, where the dominant fear was Europe's prospect of being stuck using American AI trained on American values. While the US and China are locked in an AI arms race, France and Germany — which consider their engineering talent second to none — feel boxed out. European leaders are demanding to be heard and touting plans to address the situation. The concern is amplified by the ongoing US-China technology competition and Donald Trump's policies. France and Germany are pushing for European AI sovereignty, arguing the continent must develop its own competitive AI infrastructure rather than relying on American models. The article notes that while building a top-tier European AI model is a stretch, Europe has a unique advantage in the current geopolitical climate.
Europe pushes for AI sovereignty amid US-China dominance concerns
updated at June 26, 2026