Von der Leyen's AI-First Push: Europe's Bid to Lead in Self-Driving Cars
An urgent call from Turin
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged EU nations to adopt an ‘AI-first’ strategy for the automotive sector during her speech at Italian Tech Week in Turin. She warned that if the US and China are already advancing autonomous vehicles, Europe cannot afford to remain in the slow lane. Her address framed the push as vital not only for prestige but for jobs, safety, and the resilience of Europe’s industrial base.
The competitive landscape
Von der Leyen singled out the pressure coming from global competitors. American firms, led by Tesla, continue to push the market forward, while a surge of Chinese EV startups and thousands of AI companies are experimenting with transport systems at scale. China now hosts more than 5,300 AI enterprises, a pace of development that Europe must reckon with if it wants to remain influential in mobility technology.
European carmakers such as Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat have deep heritage and engineering talent, but many of them are struggling to match the product and software momentum from outside the bloc. The commission’s plan is intended to help these incumbents pivot and compete in an environment where software and AI increasingly determine value.
Pilot cities and real-world testing
A key part of von der Leyen’s proposal is a network of European cities that would host pilot projects. Sixty Italian mayors have already signed up, and the vision includes turning urban centers such as Rome, Milan, and Turin into living laboratories. These pilots would integrate AI-driven buses, taxis, and private vehicles into everyday traffic to test safety systems, traffic coordination, and public acceptance.
Real-world pilots serve multiple goals: they accelerate learning, reveal regulatory and infrastructural gaps, and offer evidence to shape cohesive European rules for deployment.
Regulation, safety, and the UN context
Her push comes as the United Nations issued warnings about the urgent need for international guardrails on artificial intelligence. While headlines may focus on military or surveillance risks, transport systems present tangible safety stakes: automated systems must reduce accidents, avoid bias in decision making, and be resilient to cyber threats.
Von der Leyen framed the strategy with a simple formula: ‘AI first means safety first.’ The implication is that embedding rigorous safety standards and transparent regulation into early deployments will be crucial to building public trust.
Technology beyond cars
Innovation is not limited to vehicle software. In the US, companies like OpenAI are exploring hardware as well as software, hinting at a broader shift in how humans interact with intelligent systems. This suggests Europe must be prepared to fund cross-cutting research and industrial partnerships, not only vehicle-specific features.
Culture and public acceptance
A deeper question is cultural: will Europeans embrace handing control to algorithms in a region famously attached to driving icons like Ferraris and Porsches? Public acceptance will hinge on demonstrable safety benefits, job transition programs, and visible improvements in urban life such as cleaner streets and fewer collisions.
Why this matters
The stakes are high. If the future of mobility is defined elsewhere, Europe risks losing not just an industry but a part of its technological identity. The commission’s call is ambitious and risky, but many observers consider it a necessary ‘moonshot’ to keep Europe competitive in the era of AI-driven transport.