OpenAI lays out its grand AI blueprint for Europe

OpenAI has released its EU Economic Blueprint outlining an ambitious plan to anchor AI development firmly on European soil—by Europe, in Europe, for Europe. The document, released this week, combines a bold investment pitch with a policy playbook aimed at unlocking AI-fueled prosperity across all 27 EU member states.

What is OpenAI proposing?

The Blueprint calls on EU policymakers to urgently coordinate around four key pillars: infrastructure, regulation, adoption, and responsible deployment. According to OpenAI, Europe has the talent and values—but it must move faster to seize the opportunity and avoid falling behind global rivals.

• Chips, data, energy, and talent: These are the foundations of sustained AI growth. OpenAI proposes a 300% increase in compute capacity by 2030 and urges rapid investment in clean energy, public data access, and AI-focused education.
• Simplified, harmonized regulation: The EU currently has around 100 tech laws and 270 regulatory bodies. OpenAI says this complexity stifles innovation and supports a ‘Digital Simplification Package’ to unify rules across the bloc.
• Massive adoption push: Only 13.5% of EU businesses currently use AI. OpenAI is calling for targeted incentives, partnerships, and education campaigns to close this gap, especially among SMEs and public sector institutions.
• European values at the center: Trust, privacy, and user control must be embedded in AI systems. OpenAI suggests co-developing youth protections, launching an AI Awareness Day, and offering tools that let users personalize AI interactions.

Why now?

OpenAI frames the moment as both a risk and an opportunity. The cost of using AI is plummeting—token prices dropped 150x between GPT-4 and GPT-4o—and new capabilities are arriving faster than ever. Meanwhile, global demand for compute, data centers, and skilled workers is outpacing supply. If Europe doesn’t act, the company warns, investments will shift to less democratic regions.

Inside the policy wishlist

Alongside broad goals, the Blueprint includes a series of concrete proposals:

• AI compute scaling plan: Boost EU inference capacity by 300% by 2030.
• AI accelerator fund: Launch a €1 billion fund to back high-impact pilot projects.
• 100 million AI citizens: Provide foundational AI training to 100 million Europeans via free online courses in all EU languages.
• Youth digital agency: Create EU-funded initiatives for co-designed AI tools with young people aged 13–17.
• Pan-European start-up entity: Establish a harmonized corporate framework for AI startups by 2026.

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Who’s already on board?

The Blueprint highlights existing collaborations across Europe—from partnerships with Sanofi in drug discovery, to Spotify’s AI integration, to Mercedes-Benz’s in-car AI assistant. Germany, notably, is home to the largest number of OpenAI API developers outside the US.

In the education space, Estonia is already embedding ChatGPT into secondary schools, while institutions like ESCP, Gothenburg, and University of Pisa are incorporating AI into teaching and research workflows. Public sector uptake, however, still lags due to procurement hurdles and low AI literacy—something OpenAI wants to change through fiscal incentives and new adoption mechanisms.

Europe’s AI moment

OpenAI’s tone is optimistic but urgent. “Infrastructure will define Europe’s AI destiny,” the Blueprint states. The company’s leaders argue that by embracing innovation with smart, values-based regulation, the EU can unlock new jobs, startups, and breakthroughs—while ensuring AI aligns with the continent’s democratic ideals.

To that end, OpenAI is expanding its European footprint. With offices in Dublin, Paris, Brussels, and now Munich, the company signals long-term commitment to supporting Europe’s AI ambitions—not just with technology, but with direct engagement on policy, education, and trust-building.

The Blueprint will continue to evolve, with more policy events planned across Europe. But the message is clear: AI is moving fast, and the EU needs to move with it—together.

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