The centrist parties backing Ursula von der Leyen divided in the European Parliament over whether AI companies should be liable for harm caused by their models. Socialist and Green MEPs called for a new AI liability act, while the centre-right argued Europe needs less regulation.
Mistral chief executive Arthur Mensch warned on October 20 that Europe would be left with 'leftovers' if it stopped building frontier AI models. Relying on apps built on American or Chinese models would also create a big trade balance problem, he said.
The Australian Signals Directorate warns that essential online services may go offline without notice and that security must take priority over availability. Its chief says advanced AI tools are needed to defend against attackers who use AI.
On October 21, 2026, representatives of the 27 EU member states approved a new Article 88a of the GDPR allowing personal data to be processed by AI on the basis of companies' legitimate interest, without asking for consent. The text still has to be negotiated with the European Parliament.
China has unveiled 18 measures to anticipate job cuts caused by AI and support affected workers. The initiative raises the question of what France is doing for its own employees facing automation.
A JDN column argues that AI changes scale, speed and access to skills, and that controlling access to computing power addresses all three. Cloud platforms are the power plants of this era, and the open question is who will control them.