European AI: a playbook to own it

Mistral AI's CEO Arthur Mensch presents a policy whitepaper outlining a concrete playbook for Europe to become a self-reliant AI powerhouse. The document covers four pillars: attracting and retaining AI talent (proposing an 'AI Blue Card' fast-track visa), scaling European startups by harmonizing the Single Market and closing the venture capital gap, accelerating AI adoption across the real economy especially in public procurement, and building sovereign AI infrastructure with European-controlled high-density data centers. Key statistics cited include only 20% of EU enterprises having adopted AI, Europe holding just 5% of global VC funds, and over 80% of digital infrastructure depending on non-EU providers. The paper proposes 22 specific policy measures addressing visa reform, regulatory streamlining, ESOP alignment, data commons, and energy policy alignment.