Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's Commissioner for the Economy, asserted at the Brussels Economic Forum that Europe is actively competing for leadership in artificial intelligence, a critical field for the 21st century. While acknowledging the EU's financial limitations compared to the U.S., he highlighted Europe's strengths in scientific talent, industrial capacity, and manufacturing expertise. Dombrovskis pointed to the EU's significant contribution to global AI research, producing 22% of scientific articles in the field, and the crucial role of European companies like ASML in chip manufacturing. The primary challenge for EU policymakers, he stated, is to strategize for effective competition, maximize AI's benefits, and mitigate potential job losses. He stressed the imperative for the EU to avoid falling behind the U.S. and China in AI, warning of serious consequences for prosperity and security if an "AI gap" emerges.