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Geopolitics of AI Standard- Setting: The EU AI Act in the Global Battle for Technological Leadership

Welsink, Jim (2025) Geopolitics of AI Standard- Setting: The EU AI Act in the Global Battle for Technological Leadership.

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Abstract:This thesis demonstrates how standard-setting has become an increasingly political process in recent decades. It explores this politicization with a particular focus on the European Union’s (EU) role and examines Artificial Intelligence (AI) as today’s key arena for global standard-setting. The central research question is: In what ways does the EU AI Act reflect the EU’s strategy for political leadership in global standard-setting? To answer this, the thesis conducts a qualitative content analysis of the EU AI Act, complemented by an analysis of the EU’s broader strategies on standardization and technology. Through an interpretative lens, it uncovers the narratives, frames, and contradictions surrounding the Act. The findings reveal that the EU AI Act aligns with the EU’s broader geopolitical strategy, which balances normative goals—promoting EU values—with a competitiveness-driven innovation agenda. Beyond regulation, the Act serves as a geopolitical tool to project EU leadership in AI standard-setting. However, this thesis also highlights the constraints of the EU’s ambitions, given its limited AI innovation capacity compared to the US and China. It concludes with recommendations to adjust the narrative and strategic framing of the Act to enhance the credibility and impact of the EU’s geopolitical ambitions in AI standard-setting.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:88 social and public administration, 89 political science
Programme:European Studies MSc (69303)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106436
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