Europe’s ‘Middle Powers’ Face Structural Challenges in AI Race

European powers are constrained by limited investment and reliance on U.S. firms, speakers say.

Mira Bhakta

May 7, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of (from left) Anton Leicht, Georgia Adamson, Mohammed Soliman, and Sam Winter-Levy, at a panel, May 6, 2026.

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2026 – European countries hoping to compete in the global artificial intelligence race face structural disadvantages that make catching up to the United States and China increasingly difficult.

Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Mort Abramowitz Junior Fellows Conference, panelists discussed the role of “middle powers” – countries that are not leading AI development on the scale of the U.S. or China, but still play a significant role in shaping global technology markets and partnerships.

Experts said Europe’s biggest challenge remains scale, particularly when it comes to building the large data center infrastructure needed to support advanced AI systems.