Europe can still become a leader in the global AI race – not by being the fastest, but by playing to its unique strengths in trust, regulation, and intellectual property. That’s the core argument at the core of this DLD Future Hub conversation between Uljan Sharka (Domyn) and Christian Teichmann (Burda Principal Investments).
“Europe is built around intellectual property, which is at the heart of democracy, which is at the heart of individual freedom”, Sharka says. “This is why it is important to regulate. This is why it is important to be a sovereign technology.”
Preventing AI monopolies was essential to protecting both democracy and Europe’s values, Sharka argues. “If we centralize this technology in the hands of a few, if the intellectual property is owned by one company, it doesn’t matter where it sits”, he says. “It is not right for people, because it will impact individual freedom.”
The potential for Europe lies in leveraging AI to accelerate human intellect and defend the continent’s core values, Sharka notes. And while the U.S. and China focus on scale and efficiency, Europe has a unique opportunity to build a proposition around trust and data quality.
“If we can find a way to balance these strengths with the weaknesses and to be really thoughtful about the future”, Sharka says, “I truly think we can lead in AI.”




