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Germany says AI slowdown ‘not viable’ for Europe

Sep 14, 2026, 6:58pm EDT
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World Artificial Intelligence Conference
Go Nakamura/Reuters

As American tech leaders and policymakers debate the existential risks of AI and the necessity of regulating frontier development, other countries are focusing their efforts on catching up to the US.

China views the AI race as a primary strategic battleground with the US, The Wall Street Journal reported, with top Chinese labs locked in on developing models whose capabilities approach the most advanced American tech: “For some engineers… the apocalypse feels like a first-world problem.”

Germany said Monday that halting AI development was not a “viable option” for Europe, citing further research and testing required for achieving “digital sovereignty.”

Australia, meanwhile, is in talks to host data centers for OpenAI to train its models, with a view toward Canberra influencing the tech’s global development.

Chart of the percentage of people who trust the government to regulate AI responsibly
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