EU tech chief defends regulation at G20 meeting

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, has argued that the regulatory approaches of the European Union and the United States are more aligned than they appear. Speaking at a G20 meeting of technology ministers in North Carolina, Virkkunen addressed criticisms from industry leaders, including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, who have characterized European regulation as excessive.

Virkkunen noted that while Europe utilizes proactive regulation, the United States often relies on reactive judicial intervention. However, she emphasized that both systems ultimately target the same companies and business practices. She defended the EU’s approach, stating that innovation and regulation are not mutually exclusive, and cited a Eurobarometer survey showing that 80% of Europeans support strict AI regulation to ensure safety and trust.

Furthermore, Virkkunen highlighted that the EU’s AI Act aims to provide a single unified rule for the internal market to avoid the fragmentation currently seen in the US, where hundreds of different rules exist at the state level. She also pointed to shared goals regarding the protection of minors on social media as an example of regulatory convergence.