Rebirth or Decline: Why Europe cannot fail the AI challenge

”A future of stagnation or a technological renaissance?” With these clear words, Mario Draghi faced Europe with an historic choice during his speech at the Politecnico di Milano, held on December 1, 2025. The message is clear: artificial intelligence is not optional, but the only way to avoid decline.

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The numbers that shake Europe

• 40 AI models developed by the USA in 2024 vs. 3 from the EU
• EU productivity growth halved compared to the US in the digital age
• Real risk: in 25 years, the European economy could be the same as today (with the same trend).

Draghi doesn't mince words:”We have gone from being a leader to a brake on innovation”. Over the past 20 years, Europe has erected regulatory barriers and lost ground in the technological race. Today, while the US and China are investing in AI, biotechnology and nuclear fusion, Is our continent in danger of becoming a productivity museum.

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The 'too late' trap (and how to avoid it)

Draghi's warning is not catastrophism, but a evidence-based action plan:

1. European public debt is a ticking time bomb. Without growth, the debt-to-GDP ratio will become unsustainable, forcing draconian cuts on welfare, green transition and defense.
2. Inequalities will widen. Without AI, healthcare and education will remain a geographical and social 'lottery', dependent on random factors.
3. Talent flees. 65% of EU startups expand to the US already in the pre-seed phase, attracted by more agile ecosystems.

But there is a way out: adopt AI in a strategic, ethical and inclusive way.

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Why the 'European path' to AI is possible (and beneficial)

Draghi highlights two often-forgotten truths:

1. AI won't replace work, but it will transform it.
   • According to the OECD, 60% of workers will need management skills (not technical) to collaborate with AI.
   • With active policies, the transition can create new professions and reducing disparities.
2. Europe already has the tools to compete:
   • Excellent universities (such as the Politecnico di Milano).
   • A fabric of 40,000 tech companies (compared to 13,000 in 2016).
   • Expertise in explainable AI and ethics, sectors in which the EU is a pioneer.

The problem? Regulatory fragmentation, bureaucracy and a 'precautionary' approach that blocks innovation.

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Our Answer: Ethical AI, Step by Step

Draghi's speech confirms what we have been practicing for years: the adoption of AI requires a structured method, not improvisation.

How we accompany companies:

1. Impact analysis to identify priorities and mitigate risks (from privacy to algorithmic distortions).
2. Tailor-made training to fill the skills gap, with a focus on AI management, not coding.
3. Agile protocols that integrate EU regulations (GDPR, AI Act) without stifling innovation.

As Draghi explains, AI is a powerful tool not only for companies, but for all of us. Artificial intelligence can help reduce the inequalities that most affect people's daily lives:

• Healthcare: 55% reduction in waiting times in the emergency room through AI triage (US case study reported by Draghi).
• Industry: supply chain optimization with predictive models that meet ESG criteria.

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Draghi's lesson: you don't need to be first, you need to be ready

Europe must not chase the USA and China in the race for AI 'giants', but focus on a distinctive model:

• AI 'on a human scale', with transparent governance and accountability.
• Public-private collaboration to overcome fragmentation (e.g. Digital Omnibus EU).
• Investing where we count: basic research, patent commercialization, talent attraction.

Draghi's call to arms to young people It is also a warning for companies:
”Expect equal conditions from your global peers. Fight vested interests. Your successes will change politics more than any speech”.

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Conclusions: building tomorrow's Europe today

The risk is not to miss the AI train, but Give up designing tracks. As Draghi points out, we need:

• nerve in adopting technologies even with residual uncertainties.
• Agility in reviewing obsolete rules (e.g. GDPR for model training).
• Vision to transform academic excellence into industrial leadership.

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Our challenge? Turning urgency into opportunity, guiding companies on an ethical, sustainable and... profitable path. Because AI isn't just a matter of algorithms, but of choices that will shape the next century.

The time to act is now.

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