“Don’t be like Europe.” That was the blunt refrain echoing through the 2026 global artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi, where speakers and industry figures criticised the European Union’s regulatory approach to AI. From US representatives to lobbyists and national officials, several participants argued that Europe’s once-leading role in shaping AI governance has diminished sharply in just a few years.
At the first AI safety summit in the UK in 2023, the EU was drafting what became the world’s first comprehensive AI law and was central to debates on oversight.
This week, however, the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act was cited by critics as an example of overregulation. Sriram Krishnan, a White House adviser, said the EU’s climate needed to shift towards innovation and away from excessive governance, arguing the framework was not well suited to entrepreneurs building core technologies. Amanda Brock of Open UK said the bloc had “shot itself in the foot”.
While the EU moved ahead with strict rules, countries such as India signalled a lighter-touch model focused on targeted harms.
The European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, is now attempting to balance enforcement of the AI Act with efforts to boost competitiveness, including plans for AI factories and voluntary codes for advanced systems.
via Politico
