09.12.2024
*New Policy Study: Time to build a European digital ecosystem*
/Europe led the way by being the first to regulate AI. Our study shows
how the EU can reduce digital dependencies and build a sustainable tech
ecosystem./
https://futureofwork.fes.de/news-list/e/new-policy-study-time-to-build-a-european-digital-ecosystem.html
*Policymaking for greater technological souvereignty*
The beginning of the new EU mandate means the closure of a very
productive legislature in the digital domain, where trademark laws like
the *Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act* were passed.
Europe was the first to legislate artificial intelligence (AI).
However, the European Union is at a crossroads in its digital
transformation, with *geopolitical tensions and growing dependence on
foreign tech giants* highlighting the need for greater technological
sovereignty.
*Reducing digital dependencies*
The policy study “Time to build a European digital ecosystem” addresses
the crucial steps for the EU to reduce its digital dependencies.
Consisting of seven different chapters, the study formulates *concrete
recommendations for the EU’s digital policy* in the new mandate.
The new European Commission will have to make sure that the existing
legislation will be followed by the digital gatekeepers like Google and
Meta and, if needed, enforced by the Commission. As this is an *ongoing
battle*, one chapter looks at how we can get the *enforcement of digital
rules* right and why this is key for citizens and digital markets.
*Missing the boat on the AI revolution*
However, more than extra legislative rules and better enforcement,
Europe needs to look for ways to *reduce its dependence on large foreign
companies* to provide it with essential digital infrastructure.
Therefore, the study makes a plea for the *European Digital Industrial
Policy*, which can stimulate the *creation of a EuroStack* – a
collaborative platform of interoperable technologies that *align with
European standards and values*. The study also looks at how public
digital infrastructure could be governed and proposes a commons approach.
In the short term, the AI revolution is raising concerns that the EU is
missing the boat on this digital revolution completely. One chapter
looks at the *market monopoly aspect of the current AI landscape *and at
the infrastructure needed to *build European alternatives*. Instead of
trying to compete with Big Tech’s AI investments, the EU needs a
*strategic overhaul* that links public investment in AI to beneficial
societal goals.
*Highlighting the role of the media and news consumption*
To illustrate the urgency of European capacity building in the digital
domain, the study looks at two specific and vital aspects of society:
the *role of media in our digital democracy* and making *online news
consumption by European citizens less dependent on Big Tech* platforms.
Finally, the *impact of AI and algorithmic management *(AM) on workers
and their wellbeing is being discussed. Both chapters call for concrete
EU actions in the new mandate.
Meet the authors
* Francesca Bria, Honorary Professor at UCL’s Institute for Innovation
and Public Purpose
* Johnny Ryan, Director of Enforce (Irish Council for Civil
Liberties), Senior Fellow of Open Markets Institute
* Sophie Bloemen, Director of the Commons Network, working on the
European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) for the Digital
Commons
* Matthias Pfeffer, Managing Director Council of European Public Space
* Leevi Saari, PhD Candidate, University of Amsterdam
* Fabian Ferrari, Assistant Professor in Cultural AI at Utrecht University
* José van Dijck, distinguished university professor of Media and
Digital Society at Utrecht University
* Antal van den Bosch, professor of Language, Communication and
Computation at Utrecht University
* Annarosa Pesole, advisor to the Italian Minister of Labor and Social
Policies
