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Von der Leyen Calls for Europe-Wide Push on AI-Powered Cars to Revive Auto Industry

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged the European Union to embrace an “AI first” strategy for the automotive sector, calling for a coordinated effort to develop self-driving cars made in Europe. Speaking at Italian Tech Week in Turin, the continent’s automotive capital, she argued that artificial intelligence could rejuvenate Europe’s car industry while enhancing road safety and sustainability.

“Self-driving cars are already a reality in the United States and China. The same should be true here in Europe,” von der Leyen said, emphasizing that “AI first” must also mean “safety first.” Her comments reflect growing concern in Brussels about the competitiveness gap between European automakers and tech-led rivals abroad, particularly in the U.S. and China, where AI-driven mobility is advancing rapidly.

Von der Leyen proposed creating a network of European cities to serve as autonomous vehicle pilot zones, noting that 60 Italian mayors have already expressed interest in joining the initiative. She pledged EU support for vehicles “made in Europe, and made for European streets,” positioning AI innovation as a cornerstone of industrial revival and regional independence.

The announcement comes amid intense pressure on Europe’s automotive sector, which employs millions of workers and faces simultaneous demands to decarbonize and digitize. Von der Leyen argued that AI-driven transport could reduce congestion, connect rural communities, and preserve jobs by enabling a new ecosystem of European-designed mobility technologies.

Also speaking at the event were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Ferrari and Stellantis Chairman John Elkann, and other global technology leaders—highlighting the deepening link between Silicon Valley innovation and Europe’s manufacturing transformation.

“The future of cars—and the cars of the future—must be made in Europe,” von der Leyen concluded, framing AI not as a threat but as the engine of Europe’s next industrial renaissance.

Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban Praised at UN

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promoted his government’s world-first ban on social media for teens under 16 during an event in New York, calling the move a necessary step to address the “constantly evolving” risks digital platforms pose for children.

The law, which takes effect in December, makes Australia the first country to prohibit those under 16 from creating social media accounts. Instead of blanket age verification, the government wants platforms to use artificial intelligence and behavioral data to estimate user ages.

“It isn’t foolproof, but it is a crucial step in the right direction,” Albanese said at the Protecting Children in the Digital Age event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the measure, saying she was “inspired by Australia’s example” and that Europe would be “watching and learning” as it considers its own policies.

Australia’s center-left government introduced the law citing research linking excessive social media use among young teens to mental health issues, bullying, misinformation, and harmful body image content. The minimum age for accounts will rise from 13 to 16.

Albanese framed the law as both sensible and overdue, saying it would give teens “three more years of being shaped by real-life experience, not algorithms.”

Key Quotes from EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen’s AI Speech at Paris Summit

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the EU’s ambitious vision for artificial intelligence (AI) during her speech at the Paris AI Summit. Below are some of the key quotes from her address:

  1. “This summit is on action, and that is exactly what we need right now. The time has come for us to formulate a vision of where we want AI to take us as a society and as humanity, and then we need to act and accelerate Europe in getting there.”

  2. “We want Europe to be one of the leading AI continents, and this means embracing a way of life where AI is everywhere.”

  3. “Too often I hear that Europe is late to the race where the United States or China have already gotten ahead. I disagree, because the AI race is far from being over. We’re only at the beginning. The frontier is constantly moving. Global leadership is still up for grabs.”

  4. “Too often I have heard that we should replicate what others are doing and run after their strengths. I think that instead, we should invest in what we can do best and build our own strengths here in Europe. Our own strengths are our science and technology mastery that we have given to the world … There’s a distinct European brand of AI. It is already driving innovation and adaptation, and it is picking up speed.”

  5. “We want to accelerate innovation. Europe has some of the world’s fastest public supercomputers. We are now putting them at the service of our best startups and our best scientists, so they can forge the AI we need. They can test their models, they can train their models on our supercomputers.”

  6. “We want to replicate the success story of CERN in Geneva. As you all know, CERN holds the largest particle accelerator in the world, and it allows the best and the brightest minds in the world to work together. And we want the same to happen in our AI Gigafactory.”

  7. “AI needs competition, but AI also needs collaboration, and AI needs the confidence of the people, and has to be safe.”

  8. “I know that we have to make it easier, and we have to cut red tape, and we will.”

  9. “We aim to mobilize a total of 200 billion euros ($206.38 billion) for AI investment in Europe.”

  10. “AI can be a gift to humanity, but we must make sure that its benefits are widespread and that its benefits are accessible to all.”

  11. “We want AI to be a force for good. We want an AI where everyone collaborates and everyone benefits. This is our path. This is our European path.”