EU AI ambitions and technological realities: the great divide

Europe wants to accelerate, Forrester reminds it of its limits. Between promises of sovereignty, regulatory simplification and massive investment plans, the Old Continent is racing to catch up with the AI train. But if analysts are to be believed, Europe’s digital future will still – and above all – be played out under American influence. On October 8, 2025, the European Commission struck a chord of technological optimism. With its two new strategies, « Apply AI » and « AI in Science », it promises to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in industry, research and the public sector. « I want the future of AI to become a reality in Europe », declared Ursula von der Leyen, who believes in a bright future in all strategic sectors: healthcare, energy, mobility, defense, culture… But no sooner had these ambitions been published than another, colder speech tempered their scope. Forrester Research’s…