EU leaders meet in Dublin for first summit dedicated to artificial intelligence

EU leaders will meet in Dublin on Friday for their first dedicated discussion on artificial intelligence (AI), with President Nikos Christodoulides representing Cyprus at the informal summit chaired by European Council President Antonio Costa. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also attend the meeting, which will focus on Europe’s position in the global AI race, the technology’s impact on society and the next steps needed to strengthen European capabilities. Costa has said that the rapid development of AI makes a dedicated discussion necessary, particularly given the opportunities it presents and its potentially transformative socioeconomic impact. According to an official briefing, discussions will centre on three main areas: Europe’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty in AI, the broader implications for European societies, including safety and trust, and the EU’s future priorities in the sector. The discussions are also expected to feed into the next informal European Council meeting, known as the Leaders’ Retreat, scheduled for February 5, 2027, which will review the outcomes of previous meetings on defence and security, and competitiveness. Friday’s meeting will begin with an introduction by Arthur Mensch, chief executive of French AI company Mistral AI, followed by questions and exchanges with European leaders. A second session will open with a presentation by Nobel Prize-winning researcher Geoffrey Hinton, widely recognised for his pioneering work in artificial intelligence. The summit comes just days after Cyprus adopted its new National AI Strategy, approved by the Council of Ministers on November 10, with a planning horizon extending to 2032. The strategy is aligned with European priorities and aims to establish Cyprus as a credible AI hub in the Eastern Mediterranean by strengthening productivity, digital skills and domestic technological capabilities. Particular emphasis is placed on developing national computing infrastructure and making use of European initiatives, including EuroHPC, AI Factories and Pharos-CY. According to the official briefing, Cyprus supports Europe’s ambition to strengthen its capacity to develop and deploy AI, with a focus on competitiveness, productivity, resilience and technological sovereignty. Nicosia also advocates open strategic autonomy rather than technological isolationism, seeking to reduce critical dependencies while maintaining international cooperation. Education is another priority, with the education ministry working to modernise curricula, strengthen digital skills and AI literacy, and upgrade technical and vocational education. Measures also include teacher training, the pilot introduction of technical gymnasiums and the promotion of career guidance and vocational education at primary school level. Protecting children online Cyprus is also placing particular emphasis on protecting minors in the digital environment. The government has welcomed the proposed EU Kids Act, stressing the need for proportionate regulations, reliable age-verification mechanisms, stronger media literacy and greater parental supervision. Cyprus is among seven EU member states, alongside France, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain, working towards the development and implementation of a common online age-verification system, with a proposed minimum age of 15. In addition, Cyprus endorsed a G7 leaders’ declaration on November 9 calling for a safer digital environment for minors. The declaration was published during the G7 summit held in Evian, France, last June. The Dublin discussions are expected to help shape Europe’s approach to AI at a time when technological competitiveness, digital sovereignty and the protection of citizens are becoming increasingly important priorities for the EU. The meeting comes amid mounting worries about a technology that promises to transform industries and societies but in recent months has caused alarm after a series of incidents involving rogue AI agents. There was further turmoil this week with the resignation of Nvidia NVDA.O CEO Jensen Huang, leaving the industry without its biggest champion.