Digital technologies and artificial intelligence now occupy a central place in the European Union’s agenda. Through regulations such as the GDPR, the DSA, and the DMA, Europe aims to protect citizens from the excesses of digital platforms while asserting its regulatory power in an environment largely dominated by major American and Chinese tech companies.

However, with the rapid rise of generative AI, growing concerns over the use of personal data, the influence of social media on elections, and the protection of minors online, new questions are emerging: can Europe truly become an autonomous digital power? Can it still foster its own technological champions and regain control over the tools that increasingly shape our democracies and societies?

Charles Thibout is an Associate Research Fellow at IRIS. A specialist in the relationship between multinational tech companies and public authorities, his research focuses on the influence strategies of major technology firms, the politicisation of Big Tech, and the political implications of artificial intelligence in both public policy and international relations. He is also Associate Professor of Political Science at Sciences Po Strasbourg (SAGE).