Mistral CEO and co-founder Arthur Mensch has urged Europe to invest more in AI infrastructure amid fears that the continent is falling behind the US and China in tech development.Its important to have European players coming to the game, Mensch said at the Visionaries Unplugged conference in Paris yesterday. Europe needs to invest in owning and operating the infrastructure so that the money that is being made will not just go back to the hyperscalers in the US.Mensch was joined at the conference by a cohort of tech luminaries, including DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Anthropic founder Dario Amodei, and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Many of them echoed Menschs sentiment.Ambition in Europe is on par or higher than the US its not a talent problem but a structural one, said Schmidt.The of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!Xavier Niel, a French billionaire tech investor, added the continent must retain control over AI developments.Models built in the US and China are not built with the same kind of life we have in Europe, said Niel, whose telecommunications firm Iliad recently pledged 3bn to advance AI development in France.I dont want our kids relying on models that are not created with the same rules that we have in Europe, for people in my country or my continent to not have models they can rely on.Founders and investors at the event repeatedly calledfor regulation in Europe that is flexible enough to support innovation and competitiveness, according to a press release.The call comes as the EU pushes ahead with its landmark AI Act, which entered force last year. The act lays out a rulebook for governing AI based on risk levels, designed to ensure the technology is deployed safely, transparently, and ethically.The US, meanwhile, is moving in a very different direction. While the EU imposes strict rules, the Trump administration is removing AI protections and giving tech sector leaders prominent roles in government.At the AI Action Summit in Paris this week, US Vice President JD Vance criticised the EUs efforts to regulate the burgeoning AI sector. He said the Trump administration will not accept foreign governments tightening the screws on US tech firms. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with