A senior commission official, briefing journalists on background prior to the conference, revealed at a meeting of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) on Friday that the European Union and the U.S. anticipate announcing a collaboration on AI.
The mood music suggests an increasing collaboration between lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by advanced AI technologies. However, U.S. giants like OpenAI, who continue to lead the way in cutting-edge AI advancements, continue to heavily dominate the commercial landscape.
Following the Trump administration, the TTC established itself a few years ago as a platform for EU and U.S. lawmakers to convene and engage in discussions on transatlantic collaboration on trade and technology policy matters. Friday’s meeting, the sixth since the forum began operating in 2021, will mark the final gathering before the upcoming elections in both regions. Lawmakers are increasingly focused on maximizing opportunities for joint work between the EU and the United as they consider the potential impact of a second Trump presidency on future cooperation. 
At the TTC, a senior commission official anticipates an announcement about the AI Office and the AI Safety Institute. These organizations are part of the incoming EU AI Act, which aims to establish a comprehensive risk-based framework for regulating AI apps across the bloc.
According to the official, the AI regulatory bodies in the EU and the U.S. are presenting the upcoming agreement, which appears to center around AI safety or oversight, as a cooperative effort to strengthen the enforcement of AI regulations.
Standardization will be another key area of focus for the anticipated EU-U.S. AI agreement, according to sources. This will involve collaborative efforts to create standards that can support advancements by establishing an “AI roadmap.”
The EU-U.S. partnership will also include a third element that focuses on utilizing artificial intelligence for the betterment of society. This pertains to collaborative efforts aimed at promoting research endeavors, with a particular emphasis on the integration of AI technologies in developing nations and regions of the world that are economically disadvantaged, as outlined by the commission.
The official highlighted the consensus that AI technologies have the potential to deliver significant benefits to developing regions, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and energy. Therefore, we anticipate that transatlantic collaboration will prioritize this area in promoting the adoption of AI in the near future.
Is ‘AI’ an abbreviation for aligned interests?
The EU has informed the US that it no longer views AI solely as a trade matter. “By utilizing the TTC, we have effectively communicated our policies and demonstrated to the Americans that we share common objectives,” the commission official suggested. “By enacting the AI Act and the Executive Order on safety and security, we aim to address the potential risks associated with AI technologies while also promoting their adoption in our economies.”
The U.S. and the U.K. signed a partnership agreement on AI safety earlier this week. The collaboration between the EU and U.S. seems to be quite extensive, as it will address shared safety and standardization goals, along with supporting research for the greater good.
The commission official hinted at potential collaboration on various emerging technologies, such as the ongoing standardization work in the field of electronic identity. They mentioned that they expect to make further announcements regarding this matter on Friday. They expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration in electronic identity, highlighting the potential for significant opportunities in the business sector. They mentioned the United States’ interest in the EU’s electronic identity wallet and the possibilities it presents.
The official also indicated that there is an increasing consensus between the EU and the U.S. regarding the approach to managing platform power—an area that the EU has focused on in terms of legislation in recent times. “There are significant similarities between EU laws like the DMA, also known as the Digital Markets Act, and the ongoing antitrust cases in the United States,” stated the official. “I believe there are numerous areas where a mutually beneficial opportunity exists.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. and U.K. signed a memorandum of understanding regarding AI. Gina Raimondo, U.S. Commerce Secretary, and Michelle Donelan, U.K. secretary of state for technology, signed an agreement to accelerate collaboration in addressing AI safety concerns. These concerns encompass national security and broader societal implications.
The U.S.-U.K. agreement includes plans for a joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible AI model, as stated by the U.K.’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) in a press release. It also proposed the possibility of personnel exchanges between the two countries’ AI safety institutes to foster collaboration and share expertise.
The U.S.-U.K. agreement aims to promote greater information sharing regarding the capabilities and risks of AI models and systems, as well as fundamental technical research on AI safety and security. “This will establish a unified approach to AI safety testing, enabling researchers from different regions to come together and build upon a shared scientific foundation,” stated DSIT’s PR representative.
During the previous summer, in preparation for hosting a global summit on artificial intelligence, the U.K. government announced that it had secured a commitment from prominent American companies in the AI field, including Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI. These companies agreed to grant “early or priority access” to their AI models, which would greatly aid research efforts focused on evaluation and safety. Additionally, they unveiled a plan to allocate £100 million towards an AI safety taskforce, which will prioritize the development of foundational AI models.
During the U.K. AI Summit last November, Raimondo made an exciting announcement about the establishment of a U.S. AI safety institute, following the recent U.S. executive order on AI. This new institute will be located within her department, under the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The goal is to foster collaboration with other AI safety groups established by various governments.
Both the U.S. and the U.K. have yet to propose comprehensive legislation on AI safety, while the EU continues to lead the way in this area. However, it appears that increased collaboration across borders is inevitable.
