With the AI Act, the European Union has adopted the world’s first comprehensive regulations for artificial intelligence, a step that will have an impact beyond Europe (AI Act Enters Into Force, 2024). While other countries and continents are focusing on speed, Europe is deliberately slowing down. The focus is not on first-mover advantages, but on fundamental rights, security and transparency.

At the same time, OpenAI wants to bring a more economic perspective into play with the EU Economic Blueprint: more infrastructure, more innovation, more growth. They are therefore pursuing two different approaches.

But where do they complement each other? Where do they stand in each other’s way? And how can a balance be struck between ethics and economic reality?

The EU AI strategy at a glance

While other countries and continents focus primarily on speed and innovation, the European Union is pursuing a different course. The focus is on ethical regulation with three fundamental aspects:

The EU AI Act divides AI applications into risk classes. So-called high-risk systems include AI in the fields of medicine or recruiting. These are subject to strict safety, transparency and human supervision requirements. Governments have banned discriminatory AI applications such as social scoring and AI-supported emotion recognition in public spaces. The aim is not only to prevent harm, but also to actively safeguard European fundamental rights.

The AI Continent Action Plan describes the EU’s investment program for the strategic strengthening of AI in Europe. The aim is to specifically promote the research, development and application of trustworthy AI without losing out economically. The plan comprises annual investments of over one billion euros in computing infrastructure, AI start-ups, university networks and much more. Authorities will establish public data rooms to facilitate training and enhance the use of European AI models.

These three pillars show: The European AI strategy is not a technological project, but a political statement. They focus on controlled progress that not only takes fundamental rights into account, but also presupposes them. The price for this is less speed, more regulation, but also more trust. The EU’s approach may seem obstructive at first glance, but this can also be its strength: instead of reacting quickly to AI trends, the EU is trying to define the rules of the game itself. Not faster, but more sovereign, and that could be decisive in the long term.

What does the EU Economic Blueprint say about OpenAI?

At the same time, OpenAI is pursuing other principles and has presented its own proposal for how Europe can benefit economically from AI in the form of the EU Economic Blueprint. At its core, the plan is based on four principles (EU Economic Blueprint, 2025):

1. The infrastructure aims to build a robust foundation: powerful chips, broad availability of training data, sustainable energy sources and qualified specialists. Europe should catch up here instead of continuing to be dependent on US or Asian technology.

2. Coordinated and innovation-friendly rules are required. This means less bureaucracy and more speed, without compromising on safety.

3. The broad adoption of AI in business, administration and education is envisaged. Only through actual use can AI increase growth and productivity.

4. The values are important: OpenAI also emphasizes the importance of European principles, which include transparency, data protection and human dignity and act as part of the business model.

The aim of the blueprint is clear: AI should not remain an ethical project, but should become an economic reality (EU Economic Blueprint, 2025). This is a balancing act that OpenAI does not want to leave to Europe, but wants to actively help shape.

EU and OpenAI or EU vs. OpenAI?

Both the European Union and OpenAI share common goals with regard to the promotion of AI:

• They want to shape artificial intelligence ethically and responsibly.

• Both emphasize the importance of transparent, human-centric systems. In other words, a commitment to AI that not only works, but is also socially accepted.

• Experts recognize infrastructure, talent development, and research as strategic cornerstones for technological progress.

But when it comes to implementation, the approaches diverge:

• The EU is clearly committed to regulation. With the AI Act and strict regulations on high-risk applications, it is pursuing a preventative model: regulate first, then allow. The focus is on control and risk prevention, an approach that guarantees security but costs speed.

• OpenAI, on the other hand, prioritizes adoption and innovation. The Blueprint promotes simple, innovation-friendly rules, coordinating efforts across Europe to accelerate progress rather than restrict it. AI should not merely be allowed but actively integrated to boost productivity.

Even though the EU and OpenAI are currently using different methods to promote AI, they are pursuing the same goal: economic strength through trustworthy AI. And so a potential collaboration remains open.

Opportunities and challenges

The European AI strategy, complemented by OpenAI’s Blueprint, opens up ambitious possibilities for the future:

• Europe could position itself as a global pioneer for ethically responsible AI. With its combination of regulation, infrastructure development and investment, the EU offers a foundation that is attracting global attention. Not as an AI superpower, but as a trusted power (AI Act Enters Into Force, 2024)

• At the same time, there is enormous economic potential, as the promotion of start-ups, the expansion of data centers and targeted talent development can strengthen not only technological but also economic resilience.

But the path to this goal brings many challenges:

• The balancing act between regulation and innovation remains a key aspect. Strict rules without practical implementation can slow down innovation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Policymakers must ensure that the demand for “trustworthy AI” translates into practical implementation for businesses without imposing excessive compliance costs.

In addition, strategies on paper differ from concrete measures in reality. The AI Act has been passed, but how well it works will only become clear when it is applied across the board.

Europe’s AI future depends on whether ethics and efficiency do not remain opposites, but become a joint strength.

Conclusion: Will the EU become an AI pioneer?

Europe has taken a major step with the AI Act: for the first time, there is a legally binding framework that not only regulates AI systems, but also shapes them in an ethically sound manner. At the same time, OpenAI’s EU Economic Blueprint brings an economic perspective to the debate that focuses on speed, infrastructure and scalability. The contrast between the two approaches makes one thing clear: it is no longer just about technology, but about the question of how we want to define progress.

The EU relies on trust and ethics, OpenAI on economic dynamism as leverage. The biggest challenge now is to find a way to combine both approaches. In other words, clear rules that do not hinder innovation and entrepreneurial freedom without sacrificing values.

Europe’s ability to take this middle course credibly and consistently depends on practical implementation. Political leaders have shown the will to move forward, and regulators have already established the necessary foundations. Now it is a question of implementation and adaptability. Because only if ethics and efficiency work together can Europe really become a global player for a responsible, competitive AI world.