If you want to learn more about the impact of regulation on startups and other things that keep me awake at night when it comes to AI, I'll be talking about the State of European Tech report together at Slush later today (November 19): aws-experience.com/emea/north/e...

While a decade ago many startups treated comms as a service function that was run out of marketing to help with product growth and brand awareness, the work we do today is much more focused on risk mitigation and reputation management.

But that simple explanation hides another, more complicated reality: comms and policy are more important than 10 years ago because European elites have a distrust of the tech industry and are very hesitant to embrace emerging technologies.

For the first time in forever, Europe is producing globally relevant companies that are category leaders in what they do (or at least strong contenders): @synthesia.io, ElevenLabs, Lovable, Helsing, Black Forest Labs, Mistral AI - the list goes on.

European policymakers should pause and take the time now to engage directly with these entrepreneurs before implementation hardens into unintended disadvantage.

Synthesia is among them and our message is simple: don’t let unclear, overlapping and increasingly complex rules push the next wave of AI breakthroughs out of Europe.

Dozens of European founders, including many of whom are building generational AI companies that are global leaders in their fields, have already asked Brussels to stop the clock and listen.

A short, targeted rethink focused on clear, risk-based obligations and predictable guidance would do more for trust and innovation than pressing ahead with a patchwork that burdens smaller European builders.

The EU needs to rethink its AI rules so they actually strengthen, not sideline, European competitiveness and safety. There is still time to course-correct.

They were dead wrong. However, Europe’s political class became enamoured with these beliefs and got distracted by yesterday’s fears while forgetting about tomorrow’s opportunities.

The original (and noble) goals of the AI Act were hijacked by AI doomers and radicals who thought that the main way of developing this technology securely was to impose compute thresholds and other arbitrary control mechanisms on an entire industry.