Debunking Webinar : Artificial Intelligence, is the EU falling behind?

Debunking Webinar – Season 2026, Episode 3

This event will be held in French.

This event is organised by the Académie Notre Europe.

Date / Location: 18 March 2026, 19:00–20:00, online (registration required)

Title:

Artificial Intelligence: Is the EU Falling Behind?

Context: 

Today, artificial intelligence is everywhere in the public debate: technological revolution, global race for innovation, potential threat to jobs, tool for disinformation, and a key issue of sovereignty. The stakes are immense.

Faced with American and Chinese tech giants, the European Union has made a distinctive choice: regulation. With the AI Act, it has adopted the world’s first harmonised legal framework designed to regulate artificial intelligence.

This webinar aims to bring facts back to the centre of the debate and challenge common misconceptions, with a primarily technological perspective. The focus will be on the potential of AI and its concrete opportunities in Europe. It will also be an opportunity to present what Europe is doing to promote the development and deployment of AI, in support of business competitiveness, improved healthcare, and more efficient public services. Finally, because AI also involves risks, the role of the AI Act as a framework of trust will also be discussed.

Questions to explore:

• What does the AI Act actually contain?
• Does it hinder innovation or protect citizens?
• Is Europe falling behind in the global AI race?
• Can it still compete with the world’s major technological powers?

Speaker(s):

Our speaker is Cécile Huet, Head of Unit “Excellence in AI and Robotics” at the European Commission’s AI Office (DG CONNECT).

What is the Debunking Webinar series?

These webinars are organised as part of the Académie Notre Europe, the Jacques Delors Institute’s civic and educational initiative for young people. Their aim is to enable young participants to engage with experts and decision-makers on current issues, with the objective of combating disinformation. Migration, enlargement, digital policy and more: a range of topics linked to European challenges will be discussed. The discussions seek to challenge common misconceptions and correct misinformation about the European Union.